Lost in the Frost
by Aurora Bluewolf
Summary: When Laufey comes to Odin claiming that Loki belongs with the Frost Giants, Odin protects the young man from being taken. That won't stop Laufey from trying though. Thoki
1. Chapter 1

Ok, this is set in between Tales of Asgard (where our favorite Asgardians are younger than the film) and the Thor movie's age ranges. This is not going to follow any already set story. In age comparisons;

Thor & Fandral: 17

Loki: 16

Hogun, Sif and Volstagg: 19

Odin and Frigga: 40-60ish

I do not own marvel or the Thor series. Norse mythology belongs to the world and is free to use.

Not set in any particular Thor verse- just use your imagination.

Please review here- don't sneak behind my back to have a snit fit over my story like a big baby or flame for the sake of flaming.

Warnings: Possible groping, alcohol use, hinted sexy times, and ideologically sensitive. Yaoi. Don't like? Please turn back now. I won't have time for you.

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><p>Things were always happy in Asgard. When Loki was happy, the rest of Asgard seemed to gain nothing but smiles and humorous laughs from the Trickster God. Loki always played tricks, but when he was happy, the tricks ended in a quaint, fun explosion of confetti or a stuffed creature. Few were scared, and those that were upset easily, Loki avoided or surprised with a bundle of flowers.<p>

Though the time that the older boys were making fun of his magic abilities ( which were only slightly developed at the time), he managed to let loose a wild boar the size of a Midgard bear in the training arena. The chaos he relinquished on the meat heads was well worth the cleaning chores he had to perform later. Odin himself couldn't stop laughing at the 'accident', as Loki so aptly put it, but wouldn't let his youngest get away with misconduct.

Everyone else in Asgard peacefully awaited the next battle, went about their daily chores, and trained. Frankly there was very little to do otherwise. Train, feast, battle in mock battles for the heck of it, drink, drink, wake to find odd people in your beds after drinking, drink some more, and battle. Life was good.

When the Frost Giant's king and a few of his troops showed up to speak with Odin, no one questioned that it wouldn't be a peaceful matter. The Frost Giants and the Asgardians had a long standing, but tensed, truce between each other. Ever since the last battle between them, Odin and Laufey had an agreement that neither realm would attack the other. But Laufey's turning up at Odin's doors peaked the young sorcerer's constant need to snoop, even if it was just to see what the horror stories spoke of as a nightmare. Frigga had told them tales of how evil monsters, turned evil by their own chosen actions, preyed on children of the Asgardian realm because they were the easiest to pursue and consume. Like every other child in the realm, Loki was fearful of these tales, and he had a bit of trouble coping with it at first. He locked himself in his room and refused to let anyone in for four long days. Odin was never told of his behavior, but that was assumed that the elder man could see exactly what he was doing at all times anyway, so what was the point. And while Frigga managed to convince him that he wasn't going to be attacked by a monster at first, Thor was the one who came to him late on the evening of the fourth night. He spoke to him like a brother would, not that Thor had much of an attention span prior to this event. He didn't seem to understand the finer points of humility and honorable battle. Loki, being the 'well behaved' younger brother, listened. He just listened to his brother and relaxed to the sound of his voice. Thor's voice was always a source of comfort for the younger man… it reminded him that should the need ever arise, Thor would be his shield against the world. Thor was the muscle, Loki was the mind. That's how the royal family would be ruled when Odin passed.

Thor kept talking to Loki all night, and by the time he was getting up to leave, Loki unlocked the door and looked at his brother. Thor embraced him as he always did, with a heavy arm around his shoulders and a fist rub to the head, and gave him confidence for the next day.

Loki let a few tears fall into his brother's shoulder as he reciprocated the hug and joined his brother in Thor's bed for the night. It was innocent and needed by the younger of the two, but Thor welcomed it. As any decent brother would do when the opportunity arose to prove how 'perfect' a brother he could be.

But that night faded as time progressed, leaving Loki to curl up with a book in the library when he had a bad dream. Finding his mind lost in the pages, all dreams were shoved out the door with the daylight, and distancing himself from most others (Thor aside, but he was more or less tolerated from day to day).

The yelling that began to fill the halls of Asgard this fine morning was enough to scare the bravest of warriors. Odin was angry with Laufey, and Laufey wasn't backing down.

"He belongs with his own kind!" Laufey roared, causing the entire fortress to tremble. Loki had taken cover behind the corners of the hallway on the second floor. He could hear the familiar footsteps of his brother approaching from behind him, and the rest of the residents had taken refuge in their respective rooms. Loki looked towards his brother with confusion, not from the argument, but to why the strawberry blonde was here. Thor smirked at him and took a knee behind the younger man, placing a heavy hand on his shoulder as he leaned in to listen to the conversation.

"You abandoned him when he was an infant! If you wanted him so badly you shouldn't have treated him like an unwanted!" Odin roared back, matching Laufey's tone. The boys could practically feel the annoyed growl that came from the Frost Giant, even though they couldn't see him.

"He was in that temple for a reason! You had no right to take him!" Laufey countered, making Loki shiver with the roar emanated from the throne room. He could have sworn that his bones were shaken by that last roar's soundwave.

"I had every right to take an abandoned infant! Your kind left him to die in a temple during a snow storm! How am I supposed to take that impression! One of your kind didn't want him if he was left alone!" Odin spoke, slightly less aggressive this time. The boys leaned in more to hear what was going on, dying to know what- or who- was so important to Laufey.

"The boy needs to be back with his own kind. He's too valuable to leave here! The Frost Giants need him!" Laufey roared, causing both boys to jump back. Thor's hand never left Loki's shoulder, trying to reassert himself as a big brother and friend. They both praying that their fears weren't going to be met when Laufey left that room.

"He will stay here where he belongs with his family! And I won't hear another word against it! Your kind abandoned Loki, and no matter what anyone says, I won't let you take him! Even if he is as special as you say!" Odin's voice ripped through Asgard, making Loki freeze and Thor blanch at the message. Loki slowly turned to a shocked Thor, unknowing of what he should do.

"Thor…" Loki whispered, slightly shaking at what Odin had said. Thor looked at Loki with concern, and then pushed him torso up from its leaning position on the floor behind Loki, placing a hand on the younger man's shoulder from behind. Loki placed his hand on top of his elder brother's and tried to smile, offering comfort where his own mind was running wild. He could understand the silent message in his brother's movements, but didn't want to say anything. Thor had a good heart, but didn't know much when it came to offering condolences to a fearful mind. Then again, what was there to say? Given his physical strength wasn't as boldly obvious as Thor's, but his intellect dwarfed the elder brother's. He didn't need to think hard to start to worry why Laufey would want him. Thor had been very open about the fact that he wanted Loki to rule with him, if nothing more than to keep him from setting off wars left and right with his rashness. Loki had just heard him speaking about it with Frigga, who was surprisingly welcoming of the idea, perhaps from her own quarreling with Odin over political matters. Loki didn't understand this madness, until he realized the Thor must have been talking about both boys ruling with different positions. Loki couldn't see it any other way. Asgard needed a king, not two. Loki would welcome a position as an advisor to Thor's rulership. It might give Thor something to buffer his boisterous personality against bringing it to the royal bedchambers when he finally married that Sif girl. Loki didn't care much for her. He didn't care much for any females. Few were well rounded, and most were cruel to him when he was younger. Sif herself took every opportunity to trash poor Loki for even so much as breathing. Apparently, by doing anything other than dying, he was evil and stupid in her eyes. Not that he cared, he had much better things to attend to than some ranting female with a feminism superiority issue against the entire nine realms.

"It's ok Loki… nothing bad will happen… you aren't going anywhere…" Thor whispered back to Loki as he held his brother tightly to his position on the floor. They sat there for a moment, trying to hear the whispers from downstairs. When they finally did manage to start to get up, a door was roughly slammed behind a retreating Laufey and his men. The boys tried to hide back in the hallway they were crouched in front of, but didn't conceal themselves well enough when Laufey and his two escorts came into the lower atrium. Laufey paused for a moment and looked back up to the second floor, as if sensing his target was near.

Loki dove behind Thor and one of the many hanging clothes that bathed the fortress in a smidgeon of color when the seasons changed. Since it was nearing winter, all the cloths had been changed to blue and white for the season.

Laufey wasn't stupid though. He saw the young man, unusually light skinned and dark haired, diving behind the larger teenager. And the older boy was clearly Odin's son, he had the build of his father but the colorations of his mother. Laufey, against the overwhelming urge to grab the boy and run now, turned back around to head out the door.

Loki tried to hold himself together as Thor crouched down and pick up his brother, tossing him over his shoulder with a small growl of opposition from said green cloaked boy. No need to attract attention when it came to Loki. Thor hauled his brother back to his room, because no one would come to look for Loki in Thor's room. And he feared that anyone who came to speak to Loki would only bring annoying questions and almost unwelcomed news. Both were certain that the entire fortress had heard the main parts of the argument between Laufey and Odin. And anyone with half a brain who had heard the childhood stories of Laufey's Frost Giants knew that the monster always got what he wanted. If he wanted an Asgardian, chances were there was going to be a war over Loki. Thor wasn't going to let anything bad happen to his younger brother. The Frost Giants had lost out on Loki when they abandoned him in the Temple when he was a baby. They weren't getting another chance to convince the young male that he belonged with beings that treated him so poorly.

"Thor…" The oddly small voice of Loki came from under Thor's arms. Thor was so lost in thoughts that he hadn't realized he'd been holding Loki on his shoulder since they had taken refuge in the older brother's room. It must have been at least five minutes since they'd arrived, and Thor hadn't released his younger brother. Thor was going to let him go, but then noticed that the younger man was shaking slightly. Thor pushed the younger man onto his bed and leaned against the wall behind him. He didn't want to let go of Loki tonight, for he feared that something awful was about to happen, and he'd be blamed. Loki, sensing that something was amiss in his brother's mind, clutched himself tightly to his brother's fur covered pillow.

"You're not leaving us…I won't let them take you away, brother. I don't care what they say… you belong here. With your family. With the people who love you… it's just… just not Asgard without you…" Thor said, blocking his face from Loki's view by turning towards the window. Loki cold have sworn he felt the icy cold coming from his brother's eyes, but dismissed the thought as he felt the larger hands of Thor bringing the covers around his still tense body as Loki hid his face in the pillow. He felt the stress induced headache coming on again, and tried to block the light to make it stop.

Loki didn't register much after that as Thor blew out the torch that hung near his bed and rested his eyes while taking his position across the bed, keeping a decent distance from Loki. Loki soon followed as the darkness swept him away.

Frigga let herself into the throne room, noting that the grand visage of Odin was cloaked in concern. She approached slowly, allowing him to get use to her presence as she came closer. He looked up with his one good eye, and gave her a sad smile. She took her seat beside him and took his hand in hers. He gripped it enough as a forced comfort on himself, trying to ease her thoughts with his own troubled mind.

"They aren't getting him back. I already ordered the guards doubled around the clock, and tripled around wherever Loki is at the moment. I fear they will stop at nothing to take him Jotunheim..." Odin said slowly. Frigga rubbed his hand slowly, trying to offer as much comfort when the All Father needed it. She loved her boys, and the troubling news from Jotunheim wore heavily on her soul. As parents, they never told Loki of his origins because they wanted him to live a normal life as an Asgardian. Loki tended to close himself up when he felt threatened, and they would have to rely on Thor to bring the mischievous sorcerer out of his shell. Much like the time the Countess of Vanaheim had told Loki that he was delayed. Loki took this the wrong way, thinking she spoke of his physical development at the time; when she actually meant that he was late to the feast. Rumor had it that the other boys his age were already twice his height, and teased him for his shortened stature. Three days passed before anyone could find the young sorcerer, and Frigga nearly murdered the Countess when she believed him dead.

"Odin… we will fight to keep him where he wants to be…" Frigga said as she rested her head against his hand. Odin sighed as he took in the words. The Asgardian forces were some of the strongest men in the universe… certainly they could protect a magic wielder. Loki was no fighter, heck, the boy rarely picked up any forged weapon these days. But when magic was involved, no one could beat him on the battlefield. Between his staff and basic knowledge of magic, he had taken down over three fourths of the guards without breaking a sweat. He even gave Thor a run for his money once or twice when sparring. That was also the reason Odin was limiting what he learned for now. The boy was power hungry, and while it was well contained, throwing him into a massive amount of knowledge would only propagate this hunger. Limiting it slowly while combining the training with lessons that only life could teach would hopefully allow that hunger to be controlled, but Odin wasn't sure of the capability of the younger man. He had potential, but potential needs guidance. Since Loki wasn't his own child, he didn't know what to expect. Thor was never unexpectedly intelligent, but Loki threw him for a curve every time he tried to teach the boy something.

"Does he know about-" Frigga started. Odin cut her off with a strained look from his eye.

"No… and as long as he's here, that won't become an issue." Odin replied. Frigga placed her head back down on Odin's hand and gently sighed.

Review please- nice people will be given cybercookies, trolls and destructive criticism will be thrown out.


	2. I want a pillow from Loki's room

While doing a little research into the 'real' Norse God Loki (from the original legends) Loki did transform into a –female- horse and distracted a white stallion for a short time, and ended up getting knocked up with his baby- giving birth to Odin's Sleipnir. Way to go Loki! And another time he apparently ate a wicked woman's heart and was impregnated by it. O.o ok… umm… yeah… not… not going with that. Mythology is strange. But I don't think we would like it so much if it wasn't.  
>So… for now… ratings are down to PG again. Which for me is a miracle, because I usually curse a lot in these fics.<p>

WINNERS! (and yes, if you review, you get your name in lights here~) Guardian of the Phoenix, GrayKitsune, BlackStarChan, Serb, oriax, Dragonballzgirl138810, rock and roll alchemist, Rebelliouscat, TheNachtkriecher, Amosanilorac, Necessary-Violence, Greyshader, houndoompuppy, and darkxravenxx! 1000 cybercookies!

And to the people who faved and/or author alerted and/or story alert: . whoa… ok that's more than I thought would subscribe! Thank you all! Mapleburgergurl, sssantina, i love all yaoi, Joe-Darko, reality-is-lost, Rapidly Degenerating, Callek Darren, Twilight Canvas, GigiThECraZyxsilentAnna, darkknightress337, Dreamcreator, oriax, pop301118, cynical pony, Dragonballzgirl138810, Queenie13, rock and roll alchemist, yaoiobsetion, Legolas Thranduilion, and TheNachtkriecher! This is easily the most story alerts/favs I've ever had at the first chapter. No joke! 1000 cybercookies!  
>Read and Review please!<p>

I do not own any of the Marvel Characters and make no money off this story. Otherwise I wouldn't be a broke college student.'

Edit: Ok, now we have things semi-under control. I'm sorry if the first introduction came across as rude, but please understand, I was very upset when I wrote that, and didn't mean it for the nice people who read and reviewed my work like polite readers. It was intended to stop the trolls before they could do what the jerk did (seriously, 14 pages of tear down? These people have no lives…). Anyways, please enjoy this updated version of Lost in the Frost. I hope it flows a little better.

Reveiws after revamp: Cinnamon-Romanji, BreelinaBane, RowenaPrince, brpetal, PerlaB4, , LokiLiesmith, and Nerisa. If I missed someone, please tell me. I think I got everyone, but I might have lost a few emails in the whole mess of things.

Alerts: LokiNeko, RowenaPrince, forbiddenist, udonluvr6, Lily123236219, blacktalon117, athenaswings, twistedsister-emogirl, Asia the Jester, Snow Kiss Yuki, Khorayn, The Song of Luthlen, Cinnamon-Romanji, Enterprise7, Tenshi of Heaven, RyKa8, Reisshadow, Girl Who Changed Her Pen Name, Timber Delonic, Jazzledoodle, KandaXCloud, rahsax, danamite9112, and Calthdean.

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><p>Loki woke to find himself still trapped under Thor's heavy arm. Between the softness of the bed and the warmth of Thor's distanced bulk, he found himself trying to curl up into the blankets instead of getting up. Thor wasn't awake yet, so Loki took advantage of the quiet moment to gently press his face into the pillow, blocking out the sounds of the world. His head hurt, and his mind ran wild with the memories of the previous evening. He knew it was late morning, but he felt like he'd spent the night taking on a wild bear instead of resting. His rapid fire mind kept shooting out questions left and right.<p>

Odin… was he trying to protect Loki from something awful in Jotunheim? Or was he trying to keep Loki to the Asgardians? Was there something about Loki that the Frost Giants wanted? Why would they barge into Asgard to retrieve him like that? After all…Odin and Frigga had told him that they loved him like a son, though his harsh mind wouldn't believe it. Thor treated him like a brother, even though they weren't blood brothers. Odin had insisted that every man, woman and child in the fortress kingdom treat Loki as his own second born son. No one had ever argued with the All Father, and Loki was supposed to glad to be accepted as one who was born on this soil, but found his distaste for the looks they gave him when the All father wasn't around. Few even acknowledged the fact that he was a Frost Giant by birth, frankly because anyone who had never seen a Frost Giant wouldn't recognize the young man was even related to the monsters that Asgardian folklore spoke of. The Frost Giants were massive, blood thirsty creatures in the tales of older times. They would consume children and behead any warrior who got in their way. So, how could such creatures bear something as adorable as Loki? Little Loki, smaller than Thor, couldn't be a Frost Giant. He lacked the blue skin, the razor sharp fangs, and the blood lust. And Frost Giants were said to be able to slay the best of Asgardian warriors, wielding heavier weaponry and generating massive forces that shook the ground when wielded. Loki would barely hold up a sword these days, and favored his magic to physical strength. He swore off physical combat to pursue the intelligence of magic studies. And like all his colleagues in magic, he'd taken an oath when he entered the Asgardian Hall of Magic that he would never intentionally seek out another to harm with the studies he'd learned there. Now, defensive maneuvers were another matter; but none of the students at the Hall could use their abilities to intentionally kill another living being. So seeking a fight was strictly forbidden. Loki in general didn't like a fight, because he'd lost so many in the past. Thor continually bested him in humiliating battles, always ending when Loki the small was slammed onto his back by Thor the mighty. Wasted energy on foolish war games, shedding blood where it doesn't need to be shed, and wasting precious time that could be used to learn new spells to control elements (because life was precious and never used for experiments outside medicinal magic. Even then it was heavily controlled as to what one could do to living beings when testing a new spell).

Thor moved against Loki, pulling his heavily muscled arm over the younger man's body. The movement felt like someone threw a rock on Loki's side. Thor let out a chest-heavy sigh in his slumber. Loki, appreciating the passive peace of the moment, gently took the older boy's loosely bound long hair into his hand and played with it for a moment. Thor's hair seemed to be his toy when he was bored, and the thought of cutting it flittered through his mind. He couldn't help but notice that the ends seemed to have been ripped once or twice, most likely from his days training with the axe wielding men he called his friends. Loki didn't have many friends. Why? Time- he had no time to speak of things that were not related to magic or the kingdom with people who openly mocked him. And blabbing about the most recent break ups or the gossip of who was the most attractive male or female of their classes (even though his name came up once or twice) were not of his concern. Even when Amora (in his opinion, a nice girl when she wasn't trying to usurp the most recent queen of beauty) invited him for a weekend out with her girls, Loki simply stated that he was busy and had a test to study for (even when there weren't any examinations for weeks to come). Loki never trust strangers, mostly because he believed that if offered an opportunity, one of the many warriors or traitors would gladly steal him and probably kill the Frost Giant Prince of Asgard. The Magic classes he was in were extremely selective. If you had the abilities to make it to the higher level courses, you should; because lower courses were just not cutting it. No one wanted the fifth best sorcerer- they wanted the BEST sorcerer. So Loki, now placing at the highest ranking in his advanced class, was more than happy to continue to stay on top.

"Loki…" Thor's voice whispered in his ear. Loki's head shot up and looked at his brother, who rearranged himself on the cushioned bed. Thor always liked his bedding firm, but with a few blankets strewn over the top to keep his back from aching. Loki, on the other hand, preferred a fair amount of pillows adoring his bed. Sometimes he would throw all of them in one corner and create a high backed cushion. Other times he'd arrange them in a nest like fashion and create a warm little ball of pillows and blankets. And sometimes he'd just throw them all off his bed when he got too hot. Adaptability seemed to be his talent… not that it was anything to be proud of.

"Oh good, you're awake." Loki said as he straightened his outfit. Thor smirked up at his brother with his cheeky grin, stretching his stiff muscles out as needed. Loki looked down at his brother, noting that he had one of the worst cases of bed head when he slept with his mouth open.

"So, did you rest well?" Thor asked the darker haired boy. Loki smiled at the elder male and spoke.

"Yes..." Loki replied, generously lapping up the humorous sight before him, but choosing to keep his laughter to himself. Thor had forgotten to get undressed the night before. His clothes were pushed up and down at various angles, creating a disheveled look. His hair stuck up at an oddball angle, making him look like a madman instead of a prince.

"Ugggg~ I don't want to get up…" Thor sighed, flopping back down on the bed as he looked at Loki. Loki laughed at him politely, his curtness showing through at every angle. That was one thing that Thor envied about Loki. Where Thor was brash and wild at times, Loki was always thoughtful and insightful when approaching people. And in court meetings or royal galas, Loki was always the son to set the better impression on visiting councils and various assholes that seemed to write Thor's exuberant voice off as nothing more than a drunken teenager's rant.

"If you want to stay in bed, I have some work to do in the library." Loki said as he pushed his boots to the side and slid down to the floor of the room. The books he'd found yesterday needed his attention… and he wanted to read up on Frost Giant's offspring.

"I need to go see mother and father. Would you like to join me or would you rather stay here?" Thor asked as he tugged his clothes back into place and threw off his vest, selecting a new one from the wardrobe. Loki shifted his body a little and looked back at his brother with a smile.

"No, I really need to do a few things before noon. Want to meet up again at lunch?" Loki asked. Thor smiled and nodded. Loki grabbed his boots and took his leave with a soft grin. Thor left for Odin's throne room immediately after, thoughts still swimming in what Laufey had said.

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><p>Odin was pleased that his first born son was up this early in the morning. Thor usually slept in on the weekends. In all fairness, most of Asgard was more than happy to sleep in on weekends. So when Thor appeared at his throne's feet with a look of concern and determination in his eyes, Odin's smile quickly retreated to a somber façade.<p>

"Thor, my first born, what troubles you?" Odin asked. Thor stopped his slow footsteps and looked at his father with stern understanding.

"Father, Loki and I overheard your conversation with Laufey yesterday." Thor said politely. Odin frowned at the mention of his conversation.

"You eavesdropped?" Odin hissed roughly.

"No. The entire fortress could hear the louder parts of the conversation. Loki and I were just walking the halls as usual when we overheard." Thor explained, crossing his arms as he did so. Odin, unable to form an argument, sighed as he prepared to explain a rather strange part of the world to his first born.

"Thor…" Odin said blankly as he pushed himself off his throne. The guards moved away from the throne and took their leave of the room, expecting the worse. "Walk with me." Odin spoke, holding out his arm like a large wing, guiding Thor towards the elongated balcony that came from the throne room.

"What is it father?" Thor asked, slightly frightened of the answer. The only times that Odin ever took the boys out to this balcony was to speak to them about something life changing. And the 'coming of age' talk was rather strange when accompanied by fourteen ravens cawing at Loki while two of them pulled at Thor's loose shirt. Odin just found humor in it when the boys started blushing after he got to the body part.

"There's something I need to tell you, and I'm not sure how you will take it. But as a future ruler of Asgard, I'm hoping you will take this accordingly. Loki is a Frost Giant. His is our family, like you are, but he was born a Frost Giant." Odin started, trying not to get too far ahead of himself or confuse the poor boy. Thor had a good heart, but he always seemed to get lost at the exact wrong moment.

"Father, I have never treated him as anything less than family." Thor reasserted. Odin continued with a quaint, approving nod.

"Laufey came to us yesterday claiming that Loki was in the Temple for a reason. When I found him, I assumed him abandoned in the Temple as some barbaric ritual for the infants when they were unwanted. Turns out I was wrong. Loki was actually in the Temple to be raised with a specific group of Frost Giants." Odin explained slowly. Thor just looked at his father, slightly lost. Normally, that look was priceless. Even Odin couldn't find it in himself to laugh at the hard headed boy today.

"Thor- Loki is apparently a very rare kind of Frost Giant. You see, when Frost Giants come of age, they do not inherit one lot in life. They can inherit many if needed. Loki was born special. He, like some other very rare Frost Giants, can be forced into bearing offspring. It can only be used by Frost Giants. They try to not use it, but during recent eras, their female population has dropped to near none. So they find their race is in desperate need of anything that can bear offspring. They have already tried to 'recruit' any wandering females of other species that happened into Jotunheim." Odin stopped for a moment, taking in the shocked expression on Thor's face. True, this news wasn't going to sit well with anyone, but Odin had to tell Thor this now. Time was precious for the moment, and Thor would need to fight if he wanted to keep Loki safe. But, Odin wasn't as cruel enough forbid the first born information. Thor had been rather rebellious in his youth, but no one in the average populous thought the blonde haired boy was a fool. And when it came to Loki, Thor would fight for his brother as boldly as the next warrior. So the idea of anyone forcing the younger brother into their bed was insane! Or- how would that even work? Thor was confused, and frankly disgusted at this news.

"Thor, my first born, the Frost Giants will stop at nothing to get Loki back. If he chooses to go with them, I cannot stop him. I have already doubled the guards as a precaution, and I have asked my two most trusted men to stay with Loki at all times." Odin said as he placed his large hands on Thor's shoulders. Thor, trying not to vomit at the idea of Loki underneath one of those monsters, stood still with a trembling stomach.

"I need you to stay with Loki as much as possible. I want you to postpone all your training for the next few weeks and stay with Loki. After his studies at the Hall of Magic, you may train as long as he's here with me. I fear the Frost Giants will try to strike at any moment. They become rather irrational during these times. Their urges dictate what they do, and while normally not as savage as the folktales have described, they can become unbearable during the urge season." Odin explained. Thor, stiffening his back, tried his best to take in this information slowly.

"Father, I have no qualms about staying with him. But, can't someone else tend to him for his studies?" Thor replied. Odin forced a chuckle out, his deep voice trying to pry some humor into its laugh.

"No. Your own magic studies may get the help they need." Odin said as he threw an arm around the young man's shoulders. Thor gave a forced laugh at the attempt at humor (and the silent truth behind it about his severely failing magic grades), but was lost in his own thoughts about Loki. He feared for his brother's safety, and felt that if he failed in his duty, Loki may never be the same (assuming that they would actually get him back from those monsters).

"Thor, there's something else I must tell you about this time…" Odin said, taking a deep breath as he prepared for the strangest news yet. Thor braced himself.

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><p>Loki was sitting in his room, magic books stacked around him like a small mountain and glaring at anyone who tromped past his doorway. He'd realized that he was ahead of the class once again, but chose to keep reading just to make sure that he stayed on top.<br>Footsteps from his 'favorite' person caught his attention from the written pages of the tattered textbook. Thor, exhaustion decorating his normally cheerful façade, had just returned from Odin's throne room. The blonde male leaned against the doorway for a moment as he took in the appearance of Loki.

The younger man was shirtless and had a loose robe draped across his shoulders for warmth. His worn pants let his form seem relaxed, while his tussled hair gave a look of just being ruffled instead of washed with the fine oils and soaps he often used. Thor found the look humorous. It made Loki look five years younger, and with the large book in his hands, he seemed very small in comparison to the object around him. Thor enjoyed teasing his younger brother about nearly everything, mostly because he could see the reaction in Loki's cat like eyes where other in Asgard would just laugh at him for the sake of getting him to move on.

Thor pushed himself off the doorway and entered the room, nudging the door closed as he entered and flopped down on one of the large pillows strewn around the floor that Loki used to study on. The younger man hated being around others when he had to study, and the glare he gave Thor for knocking his books over reminded him that he was no exception to this rule.

"So, did the meeting go well?" Loki asked, trying to be polite if only to appease the older man. Thor threw himself back on the pillows with a heavy sigh.

"Well, it was revealing." Thor replied, closing his eyes as he tried to make sure that he didn't let anything slip. The last thing that he needed right now was to spill the beans to poor Loki. Delicate conversation was not his forte.

"Revealing?" Loki asked as he closed his spell book, marking the page by dog earing it. Thor looked at his brother with soft eyes, looking for any signs of hesitation or fear.

"Loki, have you been, feeling strange lately?" Thor asked as he pushed himself up on the pillow just enough to see Loki's confused face. Loki, blankly staring at the older boy, responded after a moment.

"Well, I have had a few random stomach aches, and a fever here and there. Why?" Loki asked, making sure he didn't leave anything out. He had no reason to hide things from his brother, after all- he'd just bug him until he got an answer that sufficed what he was looking for. Damn Thor, he always pried things out of his brother.

"Oh…" Thor said reluctantly. Loki was no fool, and saw right through his brother's defenses.

"Thor, what did father say?" Loki asked pointedly, placing the book down at his side as he maneuvered his body into a leaning position. The large robe slide off his shoulders and onto the floor as he did so, allowing Thor a perfect view of his chest as Loki stared at him. Thor didn't mind seeing his brother half naked, after all, they were boys. This was nothing new to him. And neither was telling Loki the truth… since the brat could decipher a lie in a moment, making Thor's life that much harder to get away with things he'd done in the past. So, taking a deep sigh, Thor began.

"He said that you were a very special Frost Giant according to Laufey. The Frost Giants want you to go back to Jotunheim with them. They won't hear a word of rebuke, and Father asks that I protect you for a few weeks to come." Thor said carefully, sitting up and looking Loki straight in the eyes. Loki, startled at the unusual suggestion, sat back down. Ok, it wasn't the whole truth, but it was the truth.

"But why would I need to be protected?" Loki asked as he tried to amalgamate the ideas that would lead to a second born child's protection. The last thing he wanted was people looking over his shoulder. It meant that he couldn't make plans for causing chaos and destruction… or cheat on his papers… or scare the women because they were fun to scare.

"Father says that the Frost Giants go through their own coming of age. And that you will be targeted by the Frost Giants because of this." Thor said slowly, reaching out and holding Loki at arms length while staring him straight in his bright emerald eyes. Loki, suddenly shivering, tried to stay calm. Frost Giants. Massive, blood thirsty, barbaric Frost Giants were going to come after him.

"But what's me coming of age got to do with them?" Loki said, heart hiding behind his ribcage as he tried to stay still. Thor could see that the younger man was frightened. Heck, anyone would be scared if something that huge and ruthless was targeting you. Loki was not exempted from fear, but he did usually mask it well. However, the panicked look on his normally alabaster mask was strangely distant to Thor. He didn't even look like the Loki that the blonde haired prince had grown up with every day for as long as he could remember.

"They- father- well…" Thor tried to weigh his words before saying them, knowing that Loki probably wouldn't take the idea of being forced into a Frost Giant's bed too well. Thor took a deep breath and pulled his brother into a warm embrace. Loki felt the beating of Thor's heart, unusual and faster than it should have been under such circumstances, and tried to force his lower half back up. Frost Giants were coming after him for Odin's sake! They must have wanted him dead or something! This wasn't the time for a hug! And what the hell did their females have to do with anything?

"Loki, Laufey spoke to father about why you were found in the Temple alone." Thor continued. Loki's ears perked up in subtle fear and excitement. Father had sworn to tell him to whole story when he was ready for it, but thanks to politics, wars and time, Odin rarely had a moment to spare, and didn't want to treat this matter as a story given on the fly.

"Laufey said- you were meant to be raised with a special group of Frost Giants." Thor forced out. His voice was trying to hold itself in his throat and his palms were sweating, which usually meant that he was really uncomfortable with the subject at hand. Loki knew these signs well, and placed a warm palm on Thor's wrist as a sign of force, urging that this needed to be told. Thor, with a heavy heart and a saddened smile, continued.

"He said that you were born very special. In times of few females, the Frost Giants force males like you into a certain state where they can bear offspring." Thor explained. Loki, disgusted, threw himself back on his pillow. WHAT? What the heck were they thinking? Him? Giving birth like a woman? Are they insane!

"That's! That's absurd!" Loki cried, trying to keep his voice down, and failing miserably. "You're joking right? Please tell me this is some cruel joke?" Loki said, trying his best to hold his tongue and not curse the elder prince out. He loved Thor (to a certain extent), but sometimes jokes just went too far with the blonde teenager. However, the sober look on his face indicated this was no joke.

"I'm sorry Loki, but this isn't humor I'm afraid." Thor said as he sat up on the pillow and reached out to Loki. Loki, confused and feverish with visible nausea, held his position for a moment before rejecting his brother's hug. What the heck was he supposed to do? Cry? Curl into Thor and burst into tears? Shove the man away and call him mad? Or just accept things the way they were and move on?

"Thor, I'm- I'm scared." Loki admitted through a stiffened shell. He stared at his brother closely and tried his best to just brace himself. Thor, not knowing what to do, just stood there.

"Loki, there's a little more I need to tell you." Thor said as he caught his brother attention to look him in the eyes again. Their tutors always taught them that you needed to look someone in the eyes when they were speaking to you. Loki wiped a stray tear away from his bright green eyes. He was a man for Odin's sake! He wasn't going to be some barbarians' plaything! And he shouldn't be crying… but he was. And the tears just kept pouring even though his mind commanded them to stop.

"They will come back, possibly in great numbers, to attempt to retrieve you. I promise you Loki, I will not allow them to take you. You have my word." Thor said as he clapped his brother on the shoulder. Loki, still trembling from the idea of the monsters trying to take him from his family, pushed Thor's hand away. He really didn't want to be touched right now.

"Loki…" Thor said trying to be comforting. While he was at a loss for words, he did want to take the time to just hold his brother like when they were younger.

"Loki, things will be ok. I promise. No one's going to take you away." Thor said cautiously. Loki, exhausted and headachy from his unexpected cry, leaned into the pillows and felt his muscles collapse under him. Thor crawled over to his younger brother and threw an arm over him, holding him to the pillows. Loki found his eyes shutting on him, and felt Thor moving his body into a reclining position on the voluptuous pillows. He could feel one of his soft blankets being pulled around him, and Thor's larger form nestling itself against his side. He just needed a tiny nap. That's all- just- just enough to disperse a headache. Then he would be fine.

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><p>WOOT! Chapter 2! Ok, probably should warn you, next chapter is going to get a little bumpy and the rating will be pushed up to TeenPG-13. So if you can't find it on Fanfiction or Deviant Art, check your filters. And as usual, please review! And thanks for reading


	3. Bad Battle

Battle scene in this chapter. Get ready for it. I had to up the rating. It will go up more, cuz this is going to get a little naughty~ so next chapter is going to go up to mature.

WINNERS! (Just for reviewing!) ScarletFire666, loki-lover, animehime20, Greyshader, Necessary-Violence, Rapidly Degenerating, WWE Fanss, Guardian of the Phoenix, Queenie13, BlackStarChan, sillysimms, rock and roll alchemist, Cemil, LunaticV, Calibama, and Azure-Wulfe! 1000 cybercookies each!

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I do not own Marvel or any of the characters. Norse Mythology belongs to the world, so… that's probably not an issue. But that's why we love it! I make no money off this.

Read and review please.

Rated for author's naughty language and a few risky scenes, nothing too sexy though.

EDIT: Winners: Reviews: rockndasha, yaoifan33, Rowena Prince, and PerlaB4.

Story Alerts: greywings2, Piratelizard101, Chen-ko no Renkenjutsushll, rockndasha, Vaden28, Celtic chick.

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><p>Loki was tired of having guards around him at all times. He felt like he couldn't retreat to his usual privacy when he wanted to… and on top of that, he had to accept having Thor around for three fifths of the day. Not that he had anything against his brother hanging with him, but it was driving him that when he was getting lavishly kissed by Amora (who didn't know how to keep her lips to herself), and that random issue appeared, there was no real way to hide it from one or the other… so either he had to keep it covered around Amora, or keep it covered around Thor.<p>

Thankfully, night had fallen, and Loki had used this as an excuse to retreat to his room without anyone asking questions. The guards were outside of the thick, wooden door, standing ever vigilant as Odin had asked them to. So Loki was trying to distract himself from life, knowing that the more he thought of it, the more he wanted to shed his clothes and fulfill his personal desires. So having the guards right outside his door wasn't making it easy to fulfill said desires. And his typical teenager's mind was just exacerbating the problem to new heights. Certainly it wasn't as bad as when he was younger, and wanted to stay up all night. His mother insisted that he sleep with Thor until he got his resting habits under control. He managed to fake a night's sleep for a few days until she relented and allowed him to return to his own room.

He'd finally beaten down the urges to stay awake all night reading and in fear of Frost Giants coming in the dark to steal him. And the first three nights he spent sleeping in Thor's bed for comfort, which just reinforced how weak he felt sometimes.

–Only- for comfort… only for comfort… right? It wasn't like he was attracted to his brother… no… that would be weird. And Odin would probably disown him on the spot. After all, Thor was in line for the throne, and that meant he needed to procure a female who could bear heirs… and certainly he was not a female…

…but he still felt like a freak. Normal Asgardians didn't have problems like this. Normal Asgardians _males_ didn't have problems like this. They knew their lots in life, and there was no real question to where they would go or what they would do. They would follow in the father's footsteps, go into some fighting career, and become notable warriors in the records. Loki, on the other hand, was not born of Asgard… so… that meant he couldn't inherit the throne right? All of the things he'd been told in the past… were null and void now. Right? Oh… so many questions… and no answers for questions he felt like he couldn't ask his 'parents'.

Loki forced his head back down on his heavily pillowed bed. The blood was pounding against his skull like Mjolnir. He tried to lull himself to sleep by concentrating on the nerve endings in his shoulders and forcing them to relax. He let himself drift back to the way Frigga used to hold him when he was a baby and rock him slowly after he awoke in the night. If nothing more, the memory was soothing. He focused on memories he thought he'd lost some time ago. Memories of being alone on a sandy shore with the wind gently blowing, calm and steady. He always enjoyed being able to keep to himself when he was tired of people fawning over 'little Loki'. He hated being small. He hated being 'cute'. He… hated being forced to be different.

He felt himself drifting off to sleep when a slow creak entered the room. Three heavy footsteps fell on the stone floor while the door creaked closed again. Loki, even though his eyes were closed, knew who it was. Thor wasn't light, and his footsteps were the easiest to recognize when Loki was listening. The younger brother threw out his arm on the bed and smiled as his brother took his place against the younger man's body. Oh what could he mock the brave warrior with this time?

"Scared?" Loki asked, knowing the answer already. He could feel Thor's radiant smile piercing though his eyelids. Thor wrapped his arms around his younger brother as he pulled the lithe body into a warm embrace. Loki wouldn't have stopped him. With the recent news of Frost Giant battalions popping up in random places in Asgard, no one was resting easy. The onslaught was imminent, and every warrior knew to sleep with their sword or ax. The battles always started on a drop of a hat, so trying to tie one's armor on at the last minute was a death sentence. The women and children were sleeping in the cellars of their homes every night since the sightings started, and the men stood vigilant at the windows and walls facing the bridge.

"Never" Thor smiled as he tucked Loki into the large, soft bed.

"You look concerned. Don't tell me the mighty Thor is afraid to rest alone…" Loki said as he took Thor's shredded hair tuff back into his hand. The blonde mass had become a toy for the younger man when he didn't want to wake Thor or allow anyone else to know that he was awake. Loki enjoyed his privacy, simple as that. If it wasn't affecting another, it was not their business to know what he was thinking. But Thor would probably figure out what his brother was thinking, or as much as he could figure the younger man out. Loki knew Thor's mannerisms as well as Thor knew his own battle strategies. Loki knew that every time Thor came in from training with a sour look, Sif had bested him in the arena in front of his friends. Thor knew every time Loki locked himself in his room for an hour before dinner, the girl he currently fancied had treated him like a little child. And in all fairness, Loki did retain certain innocence to him throughout the years, making it harder and harder to treat him like an adult when he looked so sweet. Thor personally envied Loki for this. Why? No one wants to grow up. Being young was just so much fun. And the older you got, the more responsibilities you had to take on. Something he would have to burden himself within a few short decades. Asgard's king was never allowed to have fun, and since Odin himself seemed too busy to even say hello most days, Thor wasn't looking forward to taking up the throne as much as he once did. He didn't show it, only because he didn't want to let his father down, but he had his own concerns about his future rulership.

"Just… worried…" Thor said as he held Loki, both wrapped in the various blankets that adorned the younger man's bed. Thor usually preferred a hard bed to allow him to jump up on a moment's notice (and to make sure he didn't oversleep), but when he had the luxury of resting in Loki's bed, he thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a treat, no question, but Thor usually only slept with his brother when the younger had a nightmare or when there was an oncoming storm. Though Thor hadn't inherited the power of the skies from Odin yet, he was more than happy to assure the younger man that the thunder wouldn't hurt him. And Loki was only a frightened as any child of his age should be of such things. Then again, when there were storms in the evening, the children were requested to stay indoors in the morning. When there was damage from storms, then the children usually got underfoot when trying to repair and clean up.

"Don't be… there are guards at every post, and six outside of my room alone. You can rest easy." Loki said as he placed his head on the elder brother's shoulder. Thor let his tense shoulders relax as he registered all of the facts at hand. Odin had the guards around Loki tripled in the last few days, and the rest of the guards were doubled around the fortress at the reports of Frost Giant battalions around the kingdom. Thor kept his sword near him at all times, and had laid his trusted steel next to the bed as protection for now. He doubted he would actually rest tonight since fourteen battalions were sighted in different places around the kingdom today alone. It had nearly doubled in comparison to the other days. Loki was trying his best to stay calm, knowing that getting anxious and staying on edge would only seem to bring the Frost Giants closer faster.

"True… as usual, you are wise brother… rest well…" Thor said as he closed his eyes and tried to lull Loki into rest. Even if he did not sleep, his brother would. He couldn't afford both sons of Odin staying up all night and being exhausted in the morning. Even if Thor had to rest a little longer, at least the guards would alert them. And in daylight, trying to scale the fortress walls would be a hell of a lot harder than at night, where clouds would cover any signs of the massive beasts coming over the golden walls of Asgard.

Thor soon found himself resting comfortably in Loki's presence as his brother's soft breathing signified that he'd fallen into a deep slumber. Thor tried his best to relax his once again tense muscles, forcing himself to get comfortable when his stiff muscles would egg him to move again.

Sleep barely found Thor's open mind this night. So he used the time to ponder things… and his recent emotions. Odin said that Loki would give off a scent like cloud that would attract anyone who was not involved with another… so…would that mean Thor was capable of being drawn into Loki's sweet innocence as well? Thor couldn't remember well… the last few restless nights had insured that his mind was nothing short of a wreck. He could barely remember where he was when walking the halls yesterday, and the day before that he'd crashed in the library while landing on Amora's lap. She shrieked and slapped him with a book, but then took advantage of the stunned warrior to give him a kiss and thank him for professing his love in such a way. Thor, still unconscious, was saved by Volstagg and Fandrel. Amora was just pissed that Fandrel had tried to make a move on her, but Volstagg used the time it gave him to scoop up the unconscious prince and head for safer ground. Hell hath no fury like a woman's rage.

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><p>Hours later, well into the morning dark hours, Thor and Loki both awoke to a massive crash. The sound of stone and metal being twisted against their normal structures forced its way to the quiet bedroom, shattering the little sleep the youngsters had gotten. Thor grabbed his sword and Loki at the same time, pulling both to his chest as he analyzed the situation.<p>

"Loki, you have to go down to the armory. You will be much safer there. Or the dungeons. It's your choice, but stay out of the battle and stay hidden." Thor said as he secured his extra armor, left in Loki's room from the day before, and threw Loki his cloak. Loki, wide eyed and alert, knew this was no time to argue. He tied his green cloak on and took flight. The guards were waiting outside his door. Two of them grabbed Loki's arms and took off for the smaller passages of the fortress, making sure that the Frost Giants would have less luck in finding them in these routes. Thor ran off in the other direction and didn't look back as he headed for battle. Loki had a sickening feeling his gut that this was his fault.

Loki, even in his haste, had grabbed a sorcery book to keep him company. He knew that they wouldn't light any torches in the dungeon once he was settled, because light attracted the attacking hoards, but it was just a comfort to have the darn thing with him.

Once Loki was placed in the safety of the armory, the door was locked and the walls were left barren. The weapons were already given out, and no one would think to look for the Odin's son here. So Loki curled up in the corner where a pile of soft straw was amassed and tucked his book under his arm. There was a little moonlight shining through the armory's tiny window. No one at ground level could have seen this window, mostly because the outer walls were covered in bushes normally. But thanks to one of the apprentices fire spells, those bushes had a little re-growing to do. The tiny window, normally meant for a quick escape if needed, was big enough for one to slip their torso through and the legs would follow. The twigs of the burnt bushes outside were still in the moonlights path, but Loki could barely read well enough in the darkened room with what little was there. He opened the tired cover to reveal a piece of parchment. He'd written on it many times before, keeping notes and personal memos on the worn page. But this time, the page hadn't been folded like Loki folded it. Someone else had folded the page…

_Thor…_

The buffoon was probably trying to find something about the younger man. He was… was… trying to spy on him. Right?

It brought Loki comfort to know that his brother was at least mildly interested in his life. He placed the page, refolded, into his cloak pocket. He opened the book again and started to read his higher level spells. Fire spells. Defense spells. Dispel spells. Magic that most students would never touch in a life time, yet needed to know to pass the exams for higher levels. Given, most didn't go to higher levels because there was no reason to go to such heights. They could do their work with what little they know, so why go higher for something that would not help them?

Loki knew these spells well though. And if he needed them, should the guards, his brother, and his father somehow fall, he had them at ready. He wasn't much of a fighter, but Loki could kick as ass or two when he wanted to.

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><p>The battle outside was going horribly. The Frost Giants had gotten smart for once. They had taken out Asgards main walls, the catapults, the trebuchets, and the first lines of defense. They were making their way through the village, basically destroying anyone who stood in their way, but leaving the houses and stores untouched. Thor was currently fighting off the ninth Frost Giant he'd encountered, and added it's torn body to the piles that were popping up. A strangled cry from a soldier behind him alerted the young prince, who started running back to help his comrade. The Frost Giants were too close to the palace- too close to Loki.<p>

The fights raged on, and he could hear Odin and Amora casting spells and felling more Giants. He knew that Amora was getting tired, because magic took a lot of energy from the wielder, and she was the most skilled sorceress in the realm. Odin was handling both sword and spells, and was taking down more than enough Frost Giants, but even he as starting to show exhaustion in the later portion of the battle.

Thor could hear a muffled roar in the Frost Giants native tongue. Distressed sounding, and garbled to Thor's Asgardian ears, the masses began to disappear in blasts of icy winds when that call went out. At first, Thor smiled, and started to cheer with the rest of his brothers in arms. They had won the battle, right? The Frost Giants had retreated! They won!

But one look at his father slapped the smirk right off Thor's cheerful face. Odin turned from his perch atop the Palace steps and headed straight for the armory. They couldn't have made it that far. They just couldn't have. The guards had every entrance covered. Every nook and cranny of the Palace was protected by magic so no one could enter or leave undetected.

Every fast footstep echoed in the halls as All father and Thunder God seemed to tear at Thor's patience. Loki was okay. Loki was okay. He must still be in the armory… safe and sound.

Odin arrived first, throwing the damaged doors open. Thor could see ice everywhere.

No…

Thor followed Odin's leading into the armory. All the caskets where untouched, even the one that belonged in Jotunheim. Everything that was supposed to be there was still situated in the vault.

Except Loki.

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><p>-side note: at the end of the chapter, Thor was still disoriented from the action of the battle, so nothing is really registering to its full extent at the moment.<p>

And that's all for now kiddies!

Now, next chapter will go up to mature, because it's going to get a little bumpy. So you have been warned, okay? So review please! And thank you again to those who've reviewed so far! Your comments have kept me going!


	4. One two, Fire goes kaboom

M'ok… ok… let me just open my emails here… *hundred of emails about updates, subscriptions and favs* HOLY CRAP! What the… wha… oh man… that's a lot of people! Thank you all so much! (And sorry it took me this long to update. Physics is a bitch, but I'm finally getting back to my true love~)

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And incidentally, if the thunderer himself wants to shoot thunderbolts at me for this, then he'll have to deal with rabid fangirls not getting the yaoi fix. So Thor, sweety, do be nice and stand next to Loki so was can just look at how hot you guys are. Here's a cupcake for you if you do! *throws him cupcake*

WINNERS! (for faving, subscribing, or adding me to author alerts~) Lupus-Cantus-Grimoure, akuee, Meex, hikari110387, riot grrl hole, Idnn, Lyness, Fickle'Fan'Girl, madwriter223 -TF-, AnamayCrystal, Cainchan, Ninjas Wings, Disella, chakrumgirl, vegasbound19, Hyper Kid, I-am-a-slash-addict, darkvisions88, gizmolina1, sailordestiny3, Twin Kats, MaryGarland, soda-pop 7, Dancing Snow Angels, 27mice, RyuIceFox, animehime20, mamasgirl92001, fandrianto, hisoka01, CyIsSoul, and kankankuu! 1000 cybercupcakes each!

I don't own Marvel or mythology. Enjoy to your leisure. I make no money of this.

Read and Review please!

No trolls please. I worked hard and my style is developing. I might not be the best writer out there, but I'm not horrible either. The confidence is building, the trolls are being ignored and tracked down for future humiliation via payper view, and I will continue to update and modify as needed (and to my vision, not something a troll tried to convey in one word… not helpful man). This is a hobby after all, and I don't want to give out my original characters here. **Thieves on the internet might steal my story… **But still. I welcome constructive criticism, even if you don't like the story. Just don't be rude. There's a big difference between rude and polite comments… and I just don't take the time to tolerate rude reviews. Mostly because every one of them I've ever dealt with was a troll. That's also the reason I took off the anonymous review button though. People abused it- so they lost it. Besides, if you stand by what you say, you can say it on here. So glad I have good friends who tell the truth.

Edited winners:

Reviewers: Piratelizard101, Alrye, PerlaB4, LoveOfPower, Advena, and Iloveanime9251.

Faves: ztanita, pmsdevil01, iloveanime9251, & When-You're-Evil.

Thank you guys for reading and faving/reviewing. It really means a lot to me. And a big thanks to brpetal for pming me. Please let me know what I can do to improve this story.

Also: What meme are people talking about? I was not aware of a meme with this story on it...

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><p>When Loki awoke, he was on the floor. A very cold stone floor to be precise. He his head hurt like when he'd tried to take Slepnir for a ride on a dare from Thor, and he tried to pry his sore body off the frigid stone. He held his hand to his head to quell the thumping of his blood, and opened his eyes to find that he wasn't alone.<p>

"Oh, hello." Loki said as he gathered his robes together and stared at the female captives that resided around him. Some were really close to him, other's sat in the far corner of what appeared to be a very ornate hall. He noted the guards that stood at each entrance- or exit if you viewed it that way.

"Hello…" One of the women quietly said. Loki recognized her as a hobgoblin girl. Taking another, more detailed, look around; Loki noticed that there were many females here. A few looked Asgardian (but may have been Valkyries) , some hobgoblins, elves, dwarves, fire demons, mermaids, and what appeared to be a harpy. Loki couldn't imagine what they were doing here…

But… what was he doing… where was here anyways?

Well… judging by the temperature, the only place in the nine realms that could freeze your ass to the ground was…

Oh no.

No no no.

Loki sprang up from the floor and ran to the closet thing he could recognize as a window, ignoring the jumpy movement by the guards around him as he did so. The landscape confirmed his fear. Ice covered every nook and cranny of the realm, leaving only a blue sheen to the mountains, trees and lakes. His heart caught in his chest as he tried to quell the fearful beating against his rib cage. He could feel anger rising quickly, but silenced it as he tried to assess what had happened and what to do next.

Thor and father had failed…

The memories of the previous night came back to him like a hammer to the skull.

_The Frost Giants had managed to slip a few of their best by the magic barriers that shielded the castle and found their way into the underground chambers. They killed the few guards that were there by turning them into icy floor statues, and then broke the locks on the armory doors. Loki was alert the entire time, and had weighed his options. He thought about diving out the window and hiding under a dark brown shredded rucksack until the Frost Giants were gone. That plan failed when he saw their hoards passing the outer walls. So Loki, ever cunning, grabbed all the shredded materials from the armory hall and piled them on his hay stack. He then made a large nest in the middle, pushing the materials to and fro as he arranged the mangled mess into a big pile of fabrics. It didn't have to be perfect, it just needed to suffice enough to pass for materials for a Frost Giant. They were big, but the Frost Giants as a whole were not that intelligent. Which is also one of the reasons Loki never felt any kinship with them (and the fact that they had apparently left him to die as an infant!). Loki dove into the pile of crud, stinking and putrid with cold dampness, to escape the few Frost Giants that were bound to come in. The doors shattered apart as the massive brutes crashed through the door. Loki hunkered down in the straw, clutching his book tightly to his chest and shivered against his will. He hated feeling this kind of weakness, because he was a man and should have fought with the armies that defended the fortress as they spoke. The second prince of Asgard shouldn't have been hiding in the vaults like a whimpering puppy! His strength wasn't up to Thor's level, but he could still fight! And it was a matter of his body at stake, not Thor's. _

_Thor… the ever so perfect (blockheaded) prince of Asgard. The blonde buffoon was the reason that Loki felt so inferior to the rest of the family. Loki's magic was never enough for them. It never would be. Strength was the greatest weapon in battle, and therefore the only thing that mattered to a ruler. So the mischievous second prince of Asgard was a total loss in (most) of Asgard's eyes. Who needed a weakling prince who could only conjure up small spells to fool an enemy?_

_Unless Thor or Odin showed up in the next minute or so, he was screwed. _

_He felt the breath against his back as the Frost Giants came around and just sniffed. Loki tried his best not to do something stupid as one of the beasts picked up some of the material he'd thrown on himself. The brute only took the top part, and thankfully left Loki covered to their eyesight. He had to figure out which spell would suffice to roast these bastards. He needed to stay focused. Thor and Odin had failed to protect him, which was no real shock. They lacked Loki's intelligence, and wouldn't have guessed that the frost giants would have been this determined to get to him. It reminded him of the incident with the dwarves not long ago, when he had Mjolnir forged._

"_He's here… I can just smell it…" One of them said. Loki tried his best to stay quiet as he felt a large, icy cold face come close to the straw pile. He was at a disadvantage to say the least. Loki held his breath and started concentrating on which fire spell would be best to use on these buffoons. _

_A large hand grabbed the entire pile and shook him. Loki gave a startled yelp as he was grabbed, kicking as much as he could as the large face of a Frost Giant came into sight. _

_Loki had never seen one of them before. They were huge. They were frightening. They looked like they could have killed him in a moment's notice if they wanted to. His resolve to destroy them perished quickly, dying like a burning feather with the realization of exactly how outmatched he was. His skin crawled with the feeling of ice edging its way towards his collar, freezing his flesh slowly. _

_But the fact that the one that was holding him in the palm of his fist was only shoved to the back of Loki's mind as the brute pressed his nose into the youngster's front. Loki, still trying to kick as much as he could while fumbling for a fire spell, only shut his eyes while he tried to push the larger beast's face away from his body. _

"_This is it…" The Frost Giant said as he started to turn around to leave. Loki thrashed as best he could, yelling and kicking with every bit of strength he had in him. He lashed out on a limb and bit the Frost Giant holding him, unable to form a spell with the bastard crushing his ribs in his grasp. The brute growled in annoyance and threw Loki against the hard stone towers in the main hall. Loki tried to remain conscious and grasped his book tucked into his robe as tightly as he could. He saw his vision darkening and fought it as much as he could, but could do nothing to stop the large feet headed towards him. _

Loki tried to hold himself together as he went back to the wide eyed females, who now realized that Loki was frightened. They could also tell that, despite his rather feminine appearance, he was male.

"What are you doing here, child of Asgard?" As a singing mermaid voice reached his ears. He'd always had a soft spot for mermaids. Mostly because they were always kind to young children. Loki used to wander down to the shore with his brother to visit the sea life that dwelled there and they would always give Loki Sea Lilies. Loki smiled at the beautifully human face.

"I… guess for the same reason you are here…" Loki said, trying to contain his mixed feelings. He hadn't seen a mermaid since the brothers had hit puberty, and the mermaids lost all interest in them. The females were giving him a strange look.

"We… know why we are here… but you are a male. You should not be here for the same reasons as us…" An elf said as she pushed her hair behind her ear. Every woman in the room was looking at Loki like he'd grown a second head.

"I… was raised in Asgard. But I was born in Jotunheim. I have the same abilities as all Frost Giants… but hold no love for them. Haven't you tried to escape yet?" Loki said as he walked back over to the females and took a seat on a pillow. Some of the elves relaxed their shoulders, and the mermaid made her way over to his side to take his hand in hers. It was strange how simple acts like this could make someone relax so much.

"Of course we did, we aren't supposed to be here!" The Mermaid growled, leaning in to whisper to the Asgard prince.

"We've been captive here for days. Merida(*) tried to escape and get help, but they are stronger than we expected. No matter how many we destroy, four more come for each one that falls. We are waiting for the perfect window of opportunity." The elf woman explained. Loki was so stressed out by this information that he didn't notice the new arrivals in the chamber.

"That's so cute… little 'Loki' thinks he deserves a mermaid…" The Frost Giants chuckled as they entered the hall. Loki stiffened as he tried to keep them at a distance with a deathly glare. It didn't work, but Loki felt better just by imagining.

"You really think a runt like you could be anything worth a mermaid's kiss?" One of the brutes said as he approached the smaller male. Loki felt some semblance of anger rising in the back of his throat, but quelled it as his training kicked in. After all, Amora had told him many times before that anger was a pathway to violence, and violence was not acceptable in the halls of magic.

Loki, in his better beliefs, pretended not to hear the comment and just sat there, glaring a hole through the brutes as they stopped about 5 feet in front of him. Loki really did feel small against their size, they dwarfed him by a good 15 feet.

"What's the matter, runt? Cat got your tongue?" One of the brutes said as he stepped forward again. The females started to scoot in various directions, clearly fed up with the closeness of the larger males. Loki tried his best to stay still, since he needed to stay in control of his own senses. Odin had always taught the younger of the siblings… yeah… siblings… well. Loki was always the better of the two at holding his tongue in serious situations. Thor's solution was always to smash first, ask questions later.

"Awww… too bad, I guess we'll have to make you scream when we have the chance." The larger of two said as he reached down and stroked the side of the younger male's cheek. Loki felt the bile rising to the back of his throat as the frigid hand touched his slightly warmer flesh. Even though they were from the same race, Loki's skin was warmer than his biological brethren. And the smell these two emanated was that of rotting meat and stale mead. The odor alone disgusted Loki, who preferred lighter meats and fruit instead of the heavy, fatty meats and strong mead that his father and brother seemed to drain in a moment's time.

"Leave the boy be…" Growled the cold voice of Laufey. Loki's eyes shot up to meet the approaching 'king'. He was a monstrous as the childhood tales had spoken of. Loki actually felt his heart skip a beat in fear as the larger being approached. Frost Giants were massive, but Laufey was larger than most Frost Giants. And when he entered the room, every one of the guards bowed in respect. Loki started to shiver the closer he came, the mass of the king intimidating in and of itself, but managed to keep his mouth shut. Loki could have sworn the temperature dropped another ten degrees.

"Don't you two have a post or something to be at…" Laufey growled as he spoke to the two younger Giants. Both of the males took a swift leave as Laufey zeroed in on Loki. Laufey held out as arm to Loki, much like Odin would do when he was explaining something important to the boys when they were younger.

"Come with me, youngling." Laufey said to the smaller male. Loki forced himself to stand slowly and followed the arm's direction, allowing himself to be shepherded to the hallway. Fear and anxiety washed over his tiny frame in waves, and his spine felt like someone had taken a bat to his back. His muscles shivered and trembled as he tried to keep his skeleton straight, failing as he walked with the elder male. Every part of his body told him to run while he had the chance and take shelter in the wilderness after blasting his way through the guards. Given it was a silly idea when one analyzed the possibilities of him escaping, but one could try, right?

"So… Odin stole you from us year ago…" Laufey started. Loki felt a subtle anger rising in the back of his mind, but silenced it as they kept walking. He was afraid of Laufey for many reasons, as anyone would be next to the king of the Frost Giants. Keeping his eyes open for possible escape routes, Loki kept walking with the larger male while staying silent.

"You are very special…Loki." Laufey continued, the young prince's name sliding off his tongue like velvet off a nude body. Loki kept his shoulders stiff and square as he sized up his competition. Ok, all he had to do was save up his energy for one hellish blast of a fire spell, then grab a sword, and get the girls out of the ice palace while shooting fireballs whenever he could to fend off the hoards of giants that were sure to follow them once they started the escape. After all, these brutes were said to have the ability to crush one's body with one swing of a fist, so Loki wouldn't be much of a fight. That was Thor's specialty, and if he used up all his magic too soon, his fighting skills for hand to hand combat wouldn't get him far.

"No one will cause harm to you while you are here… you are too valuable…" Laufey soothed as he ran a hand over Loki's hair, barely brushing his cheek again. Loki visibly shivered in disgust as he felt the toughened skin of the elder male against his cheek. Loki was soft. He had soft skin, soft dark brown hair, and beautifully bright green eyes- all of which were very rare in Jotunheim. Loki followed the elder to a smaller room where a large bed was prepared. It kind of looked like a guest room, but Loki knew better. The Frost Giants had stolen him from Asgard, and now they wanted him to feel like he was perfectly welcomed there? What a messed up place…

"I won't have you with the… common variety… I want you where I can be sure you are untouched…" Laufey said as he came up behind Loki and rested his hands in the younger's hair. Loki wanted to run… or destroy… or scream… so badly…but chose not to. He stepped forward and thankfully away from Laufey's grip, taking a good, fake look around the room. He acted like he was interested in everything except Laufey, just because he wanted to be alone to think. Laufey stood there as he did so, making sure to take in every curve of the younger male's body… oh; they had such delectable bodies… which made the Sacred Night so much more pleasurable. Too bad Loki had been one of only 5 born to that generation… but they had a few others still lingering from the previous generations. They had survived the previous years. And now, they found the acts more easy to take and less painful to end. Even Laufey had to admit that the way the Frost Giants acted during the Sacred Night was deplorable. He was always surprised when a fourth of the breeders of their race managed to survive the initial night. After that hormone induced mob had their ways, they would occasionally follow up with another night if needed, but with far less intensity than the hallowed evening. (1)

"Why did you bring me here?" Loki demanded as he turned to face his fears. Laufey was a frightening figure, no doubt, but even Loki would stand with his shoulders back and his stomach steeled as he asked the simple question. Laufey gave a nauseating chuckle at the young male.

"You are special… and our kind… needs you…and your power…" Laufey said as he approached the prince. For a king of the Frost Giants, Laufey was unusually touchy this time. He kept reaching out to graze every portion of skin he could find… almost like a wolf courting a new mate. Or a serpent brushing along a potential endeavor, seeking it's warmth and approval when asking for a night.

"…What are you talking about…" Loki said as he tried to move back, only to be pressed back against a wall by the king. He could practically feel Laufey's lips moving just above his cheek bone, words slipping like slugs across his skin with every breathe.

"Because… you are a rare breeder… and you are meant to be here, Little Loki…" Laufey said as he pressed his front against the smaller male's body. Loki started to fidget and squirm as much as he could, pushing against Laufey's larger mass with feeble strength in comparison.

"Stop calling me little…" Loki said as he tried to escape the grasp of the larger being. Laufey chuckled again, his deep vibrations sending waves of sound through Loki's entire frame.

"But you are young… and you are very little, even for a breeder…" Laufey said as he inhaled the scent of the younger male's hair. Loki wanted to kick the monster in the balls and make a break for it, but he knew better. Doing so would probably just make the situation a thousand times worse. Breeders, in general, were smaller than their typical counterparts. But Loki was a very small breeder. So while the average populous males were trying to devise a way to get into Loki's group, Laufey had already reserved a special place for Loki at the feet of his throne. After all, such a valuable breeder wasn't going to go to waste on the masses. No, he would be with royalty when Laufey was done… even if he was a runt.

"Let… me… GO!" Loki yelled as he shoved the larger male off of his body and landed on the floor. Trying to catch his overheated breath, Loki grabbed his cloak and wrapped it around his front as he tried to cover his body. Laufey, gasping in lust filled spasms, took one good look at Loki, and then turned sharply and left, slamming and locking the heavy door behind him.

Loki, eyes burning in uneasiness and confusion, eventually pushed himself off the floor and went back over to the bed. He reached behind his back and pulled his magic book from it's ties on his belt, nicely hidden from his captors. He curled into the bed and shut his eyes.

Focus.

He needed to focus.

He needed to forget the noises of the hallway and the danger he was in.

He needed to prove he was no maiden in need of a shining, blonde hero wielding a sharp sword atop a goat-

A…goat?

Where… why was he thinking of Thor's stupid goats at a time like this?

With any luck, said moron would be there in no time to rescue him, take him back to Asgard, and be hailed as a hero for saving the small prince of Asgard.

Throwing open the thick cover of the book, Loki started to search for the highest level fire spell he could. He found it in the back, and started to speak the words…

The second the last syllable left his lips, the chamber let out a strange light, and Loki felt himself thrown backwards on the bed. His shoulder collided with the headboard, pain radiating from his skull as it made contact.

Not one to be bested by a magic prevention spell, Loki shoved himself back off the cushioned surface to try again.

His fingers glowed with bright purple magic this time, indicating a powerful blast spell.

And just like before, there was an explosion when his spell hit the door, deflecting off the enchanted wood and crashing through the room, effectively destroying everything in its path. Loki stood among the mess, slightly irritated when he heard the heavy, tromping footsteps of the Jotenheim king.

The door slammed open to Laufey and his guards. Laufey, taking a good eyeing of the room, saw Loki glaring at him from the center of the floor. Relaxing his shoulders, Laufey approached the younger male and grabbed him by his arm. Loki gave a short scream as he was practically lifted from the floor by his left arm. Laufey, chuckling at the screams enticing his already flaring hormones that always started before the Sacred Night, placed Loki down on the bed and waved the guards away.

"Were you trying to escape…" Laufey said, rhetorically. Loki closed his eyes and willed the revoltion away, not even acknowledging Laufey. Laufey sighed after a moment a carefully gathered the writhing male in his arms, walking slowly towards the dungeon.

"Since you don't like your room, we'll give you a different one…"

* * *

><p>Thor, feeling a sharp pain in his chest, sat up from his bed. He'd trashed his room in a fit, and was still not feeling the urge to rest like his trainers had told him to. He'd been thrown out of the training grounds early due to his temper, but even thrashing the dummies wasn't enough to quell his troubled mind. His brother was missing… and with that bushel of dark brown hair, Thor's happy demeanor went with him. He'd lost the battle, endured humiliation via Frost Giants, and<p>

"Thor?" Frigga's voice came through the door. Thor chose not to answer and rolled over on his side, pretending to be asleep. He kept his blade nearby to make him look uneasy, and to jump up again if needed.

Thor heard his mother open the door slowly, then close it again quietly. Thor thanked the forces that be that she'd left him alone. He just didn't want to talk to anyone.

Thor had friends captured before, but nothing like this. The Frost Giants were monsters at this time of the year. And if they stole Loki, then they probably had every idea in their heads to mate with that luscious body-

…he didn't just think that.

No. Not about Loki… they were brothers after all… adopted yes, but brothers…

But… Thor, as crown prince, needed to wed a royal. And… it never specified *which* family or court said royal had to be from. (3) That, and he really didn't find his cohorts from other houses all that attractive. Not like Loki. He always knew how to bandage Thor scratches and scrapes without hurting them more. And he always knew how Thor liked his tea and mead. He knew how Thor enjoyed roasts, but loved it with sweet glazes. He knew how Thor loved to listen to the peaceful silence of Loki's room when he was studying (and while Thor himself was blowing off said studies).

Asgard seemed vacant when Loki wasn't here. No mischief to wait for or fun to have… life got boring very quickly.

A hook flying through Thor's window sent him sprawling out his bed. Thor grabbed his sword and was prepared to fight until a green clothed arm came through the open window.

"Thor!" Fandrel said, his voice echoing through the room as pulled himself in. Hogun and Volstagg followed quickly.

"Guys…" Thor said, letting his guard down for but a moment. "What are you doing here?" He asked as he placed his sword back in its holder. Fandrel smiled at his long time friend, joined in with the mischievous smirk of Hogun and Volstagg's cheerful grin.

"What do you think we are here for! Pack your needs! We're off to Jotunheim!"

* * *

><p>Sea Lily… got really insulted over this author's note. So… I took it out. Just… don't want to hear it from two people who didn't even read my story, but took it upon themselves to insult my intelligence.<p>

1 Going with creepy Laufey here. I like to work with unstable characters. They are fun to play with.

2 . And blame mythology, but Loki's a bit of a man slut…. Heh, maybe the Norse girls were the first yaoi fangirls? Just thinking…

3 Yeah, I can't help but notice… Royals have to marry royals. But the only royals I've seen in Thor's various adaptations have been his family. So… does he go Greek? Or… can we pull a few strings here? We're going to pull a few strings here and let him have his fun.

* bonus points if you can guess who this is referring to. No hints.

*Minor note on the woman in Jotenheim: I was actually trying to experiment with how the emotions went in older times, when women had less rights, or in the modern day version of Iraq/Iran from an outsider's view. This isn't anti-feminist. It's exploration in the form of literature. If this offended anyone, I'm sorry- but frankly, I don't give a damn. After many encouraging words, I should note that this is my story. It's not bad. Just because someone else tried to slander me doesn't mean they were right. Those who read my story before this know what happened, and no one gets hurt. I got tired of feminists who took it too far in my second year of college. We get it. You rocked in the 70s. More power to you. But please, ease up on the younger generation girls. We don't like living up to the expectations of others… we just want to be happy. Guys won't even talk to us because they think anyone who is decently dressed will file a sexual harassment suit against them. Again, constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated. I really like hearing from people, even if it's not 100% flattering. All reviews are welcomed and loved, but I won't improve if I don't get direct feedback. And I don't delete reviews unless it's an obvious troll. Anyways, now it's gone badass girls.

Also, as far as we are concerned here, Tyr (Thor's elder brother…who doesn't get much attention in most arcs) isn't in this. Balder is a baby (if you are looking for him), and will not be featured on this round. Sorry, but he's kinda hard to write … and this isn't his story. Maybe I'll throw in a blooper or something where he finds love, but not at the moment. Also, I won't force Thor to marry some random elf or dwarf. That's just… not the way this is going.

Please review, you've read this far!


	5. Drive drive drive!

Ok, let's try this again…

WINNERS!: For reviews! Chirikyubi, ladykale1985, Alhen Lawliet, Hyper Kid, Sarcasms-Greatest-irony, soda-pop 7, serina-phantom, Guardian of the Phoenix, animehime20, Greyshader, Fyre13, RyuIceFox, KatyStCloud, Meigimaru-star2, AxelVIIIThePyroPunK, darkxravenxx, animehime20,kaszz-chan, Rowena Prince, PerlaB4, Cattibrie393, WookieCookie, Piratelizard101, yaoifan333, Iloveanime9251, SRT-10 Blue Viper, and Zaphora!

Major thanks to PirateLizard101. You really made my day. I'm so happy... *cries*

For favs/alerts/subscriptions! LADYAGAMI, One-Winged-Rose-of-Wutai, meta scythe, ItsRosseth, chirikyubi, Rachets darling girl, chaoticryudo, Karijn Aska Shangel, Hazel Moore, ASFolk, ladykale1985, tigrecartoon, crimeson-plasma, shadowdragonqueen, panteraa, aislin94, Sinkme, Imperial Dragon, Yun-Ah, Layzil, i love all yaoi, Koluno1986, soda-pop 7, Chrystel Malfoy-Potter, Sarcasms-Greatest-irony, sessysbaby666, VeraTheDreamer, psychonerd 5, Hahkxeah, RyuIceFox, mamasgirl92001, hisoka01, animehime20, idontreallycare111, fandrianto, darkxravenxx, Ophiasay, Meigimaru-star2, Karol28emo,Dantemew, blackpokecat, and KatyStCloud!

Also, I couldn't go around to everyone and thank them individually this time because I have to prep for Monday's class. I really wanted to do well in Physics 2, cuz while I passed physics 1, I felt embarrassed about my grade. SO! A HUGGGEEE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED ON DEVIANT ART! I will hopefully get back into the swing of things asap, but I'm not counting my chickens before they hatch.

Pssst… hey.. yeah… you… wanna know how to win? See that button underneath this fic? Click it. Type something. Congrats! You've won! That's all it took! Doesn't even have to make sense! Just type something!

Side Notes:

Since I didn't put these in yet, and a major thanks to GreyShader for reminding me to clarify, since I am human and occasionally forget! :D But really, thank you if you can find anything spelled wrong, mistaken names, or overall errors in the stories. I will (90% of the time, assuming I'm not being buried under work here) correct them and credit you!

-Loki will not be aware that Laufey is his father in this tale. Laufey will assume that the child he left to be raised among the breeders was killed in the siege, and that this 'young one' is another child from that birth year that was stolen from the Frost Giants. This won't be incest. It will be Thor and Loki though. Laufey will not get into Loki's pants. I swear. (Incidentally, has anyone else noticed that Frost Giant females are supposed to be very pretty... so… Loki… are you a hermaphrodite? Cuz that would be awesome~ And yes, historically, Loki has been a bit of a man slut and has had 4 children (two of which were born from him! Right? Depending on which version of the mythology, at least Slephnir was born from him…) Also, I'm going to stick with the kids that he actually had on this round. So no made up kids, they will just have a different daddy… or mommy… or… well, you pick the title on that one.

-This will not be a non—con story…

-No, Tyr (Thor's big brother, mythically) won't be in this tale. Neither will Balder. Why? …the men are hard to write. I can't get them in without bending what I originally had in mind to an odd angle.

Onto the story

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I would like to work for Disney if I could… cuz they own Marvel and I want in on their entire gig.

* * *

><p>Loki hated this room already.<p>

And 'room' was a joke in this case.

The cold dungeon cell he'd been thrown into had an uncomfortably cold stone floor, which almost seemed wet for some reason. Loki decided not to find the source of said moisture, more out of currently being pissed off about being thrown into a tiny cell. He was a prince after all. He shouldn't have even been in this situation. He was still trying to find a way to escape without breaking too many of his bones or grabbing too much attention. Perhaps if he got to another world, he would be able to get help. Any help would be great. After all, if he did this just right, he would never have to set another foot back in this horrible place.

Heavy steel door…steel bars on the windows… could break through those…but it would alert the guards before he was even out the window.

What… else…

Thunderous footsteps broke his concentration as Laufey's huge hand threw open the door to the dungeons and he barged his larger frame into the cell. He smirked at the younger man, who was trying to keep his solemn, sober façade up. He glared at the jackass who'd dragged him away from his home to be kept as a pet for these beasts to fondle as they wished.

"I see you are awake, youngling…" Laufey said as he stepped forward to meet the younger male's glare with a gentle hand on his cheek, the blue coloration ebbing in slowly. Loki pulled away, disgusted and stomach rolling. He chose to say nothing in response to the elder male's comment, but glared definitely in its stead.

"Now is not the time to be disrespectful, Little Prince Loki…" Laufey said as he kneeled to the younger man's sitting stature and took in his bright green eyes, currently burning with hatred and possibly a hint of fear. Still silent, tried his best to hold back the frustrating tears that threatened to pour from his eyes as the monster Laufey, the very being who was said to consume children of Asgard should the stray from their mother's wings, was sizing the younger man up like a bear to a piece of meat.

"What's the matter, little one?" Laufey asked as his hand slid lower on the younger man's collar, stroking the thin bones that laid underneath his neckline. Loki felt the urge to strike out and slay the monster where he stood, but chose not to only because of the shadows of the guards peaking from behind the open steel door. The royal guards would probably tear him to pieces, even ignoring his status and current value to them, if he attacked their king.

"You know your actions will be bound to start a war with Asgard…" Loki said as he forced his locked gaze away from the elder male. Loki could hear the other man chuckling away from his green eyed stare.

"And why would Asgard do that?" Laufey spoke, mocking the younger male as he tried to coax Loki into uneasiness through reverse psychology. Loki's gaze broke and he shot his head back towards the king with nothing short of death rising in his mind.

"They would come for me! I'm their youngest prince!" Loki said as he thrashed his right arm towards the king. He noted the guards shadows move outside the doorway. Disadvantage had his number today… not that any day in his life was very plentiful in cases like these. When he wasn't getting teased by his brother or his friends for his short stature, he was getting bullied for his magic skills by other warriors. No matter how much he succeeded in his studies, he was still the laughing stock of the royal family. To make matters worse, when he tried to fight back, he either got himself in trouble for hurting someone with a strong spell or got bullied even more in return. He just couldn't win. People were too cruel.

"Heh… their 'youngest prince'… you don't really think they would accept you if they knew where you really came from, do you?" Laufey said as he grasped Loki's hair and clinched it tightly, pulling him upwards and Laufey laughed more.

His skin was now completely blue. The unfamiliar color coated his skin as he flailed in an attempt to free his head.

And Loki hated it.

He never wanted to be a Frost Giant to begin with… not after they abandoned him in a fucking Temple to die by himself. And looking back, he was glad that Odin had found him and allowed him the chance to live that every other being got… and in a place where, even though he wasn't of royal blood, was a prince and raised as Odin's son. He wasn't always accepted, even unloved to an extent, for his trickery… but it was something that was his alone. No one else in the kingdom would play jokes like his. That's what made Loki. Just allowing himself a moment a day to cause mischief and mayhem, then watch the ensuing chaos from a safe distance while others fluttered around trying to cease it.

"Let… me… go…" Loki hissed as he was pressed into the wall. He hated feeling like he was trapped. He struggled a little, trying to harm Laufey, his urges to kill the bastard rising from the pit of Loki's stomach.

"No…" Laufey growled as he placed his face near Loki's head. He inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of the lovely young man. Loki was losing his patience. He shoved his foot between himself and the larger man and pushed.

"I… said… let…me… go!" Loki yelled as he gave the man a rough shove, causing Laufey to release him as his mind concentrated on a fire spell, which manifested immediately. The blossoming spell roared its way to Laufey and barely missed the Frost Giant when he dodged the spell. Loki, trying to catch his breath, looked at his hands in fear. The once warm, pale skin was now a cold blue visage. Loki tried to rub his arms to stop the effect of the coloration, only to find it wouldn't deviate as fast as he wanted it.

"You are Frost Giant… no matter how Odin's magic tries to cover your true form…" Laufey said as he turned for the door. Loki held his magic as best he could, ignoring his stinging pride.

"Rest well, little prince…" Laufey mocked as he left the room with a booming shut of the heavy steel door. Loki couldn't pay it any mind, he was currently trying to curl into himself in the hay in the corner.

He wanted to destroy…

He wanted to murder…

He…wanted to go home…

He wanted to go back to Odin… the ancient bastard.

Back to Frigga…

Back to his forest and books…

Back…to Thor…damned buffoon.

Sleep found Loki quickly when the frustration had stopped. Warmth allowed itself to spread along the rolled up cape that once adorned the prince, now embracing its small inhabitant. Loki's thoughts allowed him to wander to Thor. The big lummox wouldn't know it, but he was Loki's one shred of sanity right now. The cold boy that called Asgard his home was giving way to an insane man that longed to be rid of this world… and silently wished that his heroic brother would save him from the madness that was slowly eating him from the inside out. He didn't want to lose control… he feared what someone with uncontrolled powers would do to the realms. The stories from the archives and from their mentors had been clear: Uncontrolled power could only destroy.

Given, he knew back then that half the tales were made up in an attempt to keep the students ideas of restraint and control in check, but most of them would never be real threats.

Loki knew his innate powers were dangerous. He feared them sometimes- knowing that no one from the hall of magic would be able to stop him if he lost control. Odin and Thor might be able to, but only after a considerable amount of damage was done.

Loki's thoughts went deeper while he rested. Loki was a kind of person that could work things out better when he rested on the ideas. Thor was always there for him in a sense, even after it had been made very clear to the blonde man that he didn't need to guard his adopted brother like he always did. Most people tended to laugh at his pranks and then walk away from him, but Thor had once insisted that Loki 'socialize' with his friends. Loki didn't really feel like he belonged with the group at first, and was reaffirmed that belief when Sif came along and convinced Thor that Loki was too small and weak to enjoy drinking with them. The Hall of Magic's inhabitants really didn't like to create bonds between one another, mostly because they wouldn't see one another after they left…but this wasn't the case. This was someone asking him to join them for a night of fun, only for some harpy to come out and stop them. Without any real reason! What had Loki done to make her act such a way? And he wasn't too small to go drinking… he just wasn't as big as the others. It hurt terribly to know he wasn't allowed to go with the group because someone had said he wasn't. Whoever said her word was fucking law? This overly opinionated bitch booted him out before even talking to him…

Loki forced himself to close his eyes again, not even realizing that he'd opened them at some point while lost in his thoughts. He took a deep breath, and tried to think calming thoughts of the Asgard forest. It gave him some place to think about…some place warm, quiet and alone.

* * *

><p>Thor and the Warriors Three made their way towards the Thunder Runner under the cover of darkness. They had managed to sneak away from the palace while the guards were changing their places, and they had taken only when they would absolutely need for the trip. With all luck on their side, they would only be gone three days at least, four at most. Given, two days of that was just travel, but getting Loki back was principle to everything else. Thor needed to know that his little brother was safe. Even thought they were not related by blood, Loki was still his little brother… just his little brother. Everything else that had been beating its way through the walls of his mind were just strange emotions brought on by Loki's current state. Otherwise he certainly wouldn't be dreaming of Loki smiling at him with his devious grin… or throwing a book at him in the gardens of the Palace… or joining him in his bed at night with nary a shred of clothing to be found. No… no… it was just a state brought on by him being around the only male that he'd ever found attractive… yeah… that was all… it would pass soon. It was just…just a phase.<p>

They were almost at the ship when Thor started to look around. No one else should have been out at this hour, but they had many reasons to be wary. Robbers and thieves were still a problem in Asgard, sliding in and out of the borders with spells stolen from the archives. Wandering down to the docks, which were off limits after sunset because they were so slippery, was just asking for trouble.

Thor watched his step as he led the four men towards the boat.

"Going somewhere?" A once kind, now strict, voice came from the shadows. All four men nearly jumped out of their skins. No one else was supposed to be here! Thor whipped around quickly, nearly throwing himself backwards as he tried to keep his balance. Emerging from the darkness were the familiar forms of Frigga and Sif. Oh, he should have seen this coming….

"Hello… mother… Sif…" Thor said as he dropped his bag, glaring at Sif for a moment. They hadn't parted on good terms when Thor was drunk last. Sif took it upon herself to insult Loki once again, and Thor had found that straw breaking his mule's back. The stress from the week's entirety and his sour mood found Thor yelling at Sif in the middle of the training arena, where Thor had just smashed another dummy with his hammer while flopping around like a drunken seal. Sif had fired back with her own remarks about how evil and ignorant Loki was. That was when Thor had attempted to banish her from Asgard like his father did to traitors. Needless to say, it failed. That didn't stop Thor from not speaking to her since. If his massive cold shoulder (might as well have been a cold front…) didn't send her the message, nothing would.

He knew what was going to come next. He would be scolded for leaving the castle, told off for trying to rescue Loki on his own, and dragged back to the castle by his ear (yeah, all the way back, by foot, with Frigga holding onto his ear so he couldn't run), and brought before his father to be reprimanded for his brash actions.

"Thor… dear… where are you going so late on this fine evening?" Frigga said as she approached the young men. Fandral edged his way closer to the boat, hoping to jump up on deck without being noticed by the women and prepare for a swift take off if needed. Sif stopped him dead in his tracks when her boot tip nudged its way past his heel, making him freeze when he realized that she was behind him. Fandral glared back at her. He wasn't in the mood to hear her lecture on why this was dangerous and how they should have left the trickster to the Frost Giants.

"Mother…" Thor said with a heavy sigh. He knew he couldn't hide anything from the woman. She was too intelligent to get anything past. Thor could have sworn she had eyes in the back of her head and ears on every wall of the fortress. Every time he'd tried to sneak out to go with the Warriors Three on an evening adventure to the markets or follow his father towards the battlefields, she knew about it before he had even gotten his foot out of his room.

"If you are going to find Loki… at least take these with you…" Frigga said as she held out four larger packs, stuffed with needs for the trip. Thor, stupefied for only a moment, gaped at his mother like a fish out of water. Once the moment of sheer unexpectedness had passed, Thor smiled at his beloved mother and embraced her. Should have known that she would see right through those big blue eyes.

"Mother…" Thor said as he hugged the woman, making sure he gripped to her shirt tightly like he did when he was a child.

"You didn't think I wouldn't notice, did you?" Frigga replied as she forced the young man off her shirt. Thor could feel emotions rising again, but stalled them as he thought of the duties ahead.

"Thank you…" Thor said as she handed him his pack, making sure not to embarrass the boy. Thor accepted the pack with a smile as the other three men took their packs, regarding the smirking Sif with a small huff. She allowed the Warriors Three to pass as Thor stayed for a moment. Frigga clearly had something else to say.

"Thor… darling… " Frigga began slowly, working the words over in her head before she spoke. There was a reason she was Odin's better half. Thor placed a comforting hand n her shoulder as a sign to continue. The queen let out a small sigh, realizing there was no running from what needed to be said.

"Just…be careful…" Frigga spilled. Thor embraced his mother again, doing his best not to bruise her. He had long since learned to control the strength he had when around loved ones. When they were younger, Loki had snuck up on Thor after training one day, attempting to be funny. Thor, thinking the person who had jumped on his back was an assassin, threw the younger man into the wall. Loki, trying to be like his older brother, held his swelling arm as the tears threatened in his beautiful green eyes. Thor felt so bad about attacking Loki; he rushed the younger man to the healing room and stayed with him all night. He had to explain the whole story to a furious Odin and a confused Frigga. Thor himself was so upset by the whole ordeal, despite Loki laughing it off after his swollen arm was bandaged and soothed, that Odin decided not to punish the younger man. It was very clear that Thor didn't mean to hurt Loki, and Thor did learn his lesson well.

"I know mother… " Thor said. Sif gave the man a strange look, despicable in nature, even through her silence for the rest of the conversation. A glare from both Fandral and Thor silenced her eyes.

"Thor… good luck." Frigga interrupted as she placed a finger on his lips. Thor had always felt the need to run to his brother's aid when he could. Perhaps the boy didn't remember, but when they were younger, Thor and Loki both had asked if they could get married when they were children so they wouldn't have to fight over the throne. Odin had burst into laughter at the request, and Frigga had joined him later in the mirth when he told the women what their children had asked. Now, at the time, the parents blew it off as a childish request from the seven year olds. But as the years went by and Loki rarely looked for women or even men (hell, Frigga would have been happy if the boy brought home SOMEONE by the time he was 15),.. But… looking back… other than the women that seemed to follow the Warriors Three around (thanks to Fandral, no doubt), Frigga had only seen Thor with Sif. And Sif was not royalty… nor had she the slightest interest in her friend as such. If the last argument had anything to attest to it, she wouldn't see Sif around the palace unless she needed to be.

Thor was elated to know they wouldn't be followed to say the least, but hid it well. He hugged his mother once more, and turned to the ship once again. He gave Sif a quick glare and ran up the plank that served at the entrance to the vessel. He placed his pack down and turned once again to the two females on the dock, smiling at them both with his quaint smirk. His heart was swelling in his chest, and he made no motion to stop it's feelings from coming out.

"Tell father I've made my choice!" Thor said as the ship started to move away from the port. Frigga laughed as Sif starred strangely at the comment. The queen raised her hand in a farewell wave.

"Come back alive and with Loki!" Frigga shouted back. Thor nodded to the requests and went to man the sails as Hogun and Volstagg rowed and Fandral steered.

* * *

><p>At his throne, Odin looked out to the ship that was leaving Asgard's port and smiled.<p>

* * *

><p>Totally leaving that last Thor line open to interpretation. It just fit.<p>

SO, since you've come this far, see that button? Yeah, that one that says comment or review? Click it. Type something. Reviews make me think and keep my spirits up…yeah… those of you who know what happened can fill in the blanks there.


	6. Getting Bold

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I love you guys! And sorry I can't reply to each review these days, but I really love you guys! Also, loving the reviews Skella-the-third, Alhen Lawliet and Rachets darling girl are giving! You guys think like me! :3

Review politely please! This is a hobby after all~

I make no money off this! Me no own!

Sidenotes and questions:

-Umm… war… well, for now, I'm going to say I don't know. Maybe, but doubtfully.

-Royal heirs- …:3 probably shouldn't reveal this one yet. Let's just say maybe! Same for marriage, if Loki's still alive when I'm done with him~

The women… can't say anything here.

Edited for continuity

* * *

><p>Loki awoke to find Laufey glaring down at him.<p>

"What do you want?" Loki sighed as he flopped back down on the temporary arrangement he was suppose to sleep in. The floor was still wet, which seemed odd to the young prince. It should have been dry by now. He slid his heavy cloak off his shoulders, allowing the green cascade to pool at his feet.

"You should know already… why is there a boat docked at the fat edge of the kingdom?" Laufey growled as he looked down at the younger man. Loki opened one bleary eye, calculating his thoughts on what to say…

He could go with the bold approach… but that might force Laufey to panic and do something irrational. On the other hand, that would give Loki an advantage. Or it could backfire and gain Loki a nice position under the king's foot.

He could go with the subtle, mischievous approach, and possibly anger the elder Frost Giant; which probably wouldn't play out well in the overall ordeal.

Or… he could go with a chess move…

"I haven't the slightest what you are talking about…"Loki spurred off as he rolled back over in the cloak. Laufey gave an animalistic growl behind him, sending forced shivers through Loki's still form.

"I think you know something… Who has brought that ship here?" Laufey demanded as he grabbed the thick, green cloak and lifted the Loki from the floor with a howl. Loki just hung there, looking angry and annoyed as the larger Frost Giant growled, huffed and puffed as an attempt to make himself more threatening. It was lost on the young Prince, frankly because there was little that the huge being could do to harm him. And whatever he did would only give Loki even more of a reason to refuse their attentions and lash out at the bastards, assuming he was still ailve. Laufey was already on thin ice with Loki, and Loki was just looking for a reason to cause trouble for the Frost Giant King by this point. Maybe if he caused enough mayhem, the larger being would believe he was defective and release him into the wilds to find his way back to Asgard on his own… even if Loki hated the idea of himself being unusual, it was a better shot than playing dead and waiting for someone to come feel you up here.

"Look, I'm not psychic, and I have no idea who the damn ship is. Why don't you send some of your brutes out to find the beings who brought it here instead of badgering me?" Loki said as he wiggled against his cloaks' collar as the fabric strained to hold his weight. This only seemed to annoy the Frost Giant King as he tossed the bratty second born back to the wall, generating a sickening crack when the prince hit. Loki listened to the large, blue giant leave as he stared at the ceiling, pain radiating through his dizzy head.

Thor was here…

He could _**feel**_ the man's bulky presence.

It was like a moose in the room.

Heavy and partially unwanted.

And oddly… Loki felt calmer just knowing that the entirety of Asgard hadn't forgotten about him, though why they would even bother to send help was a strange thought in Loki's mind. Maybe it was the hormones. Odin help him, he hoped it was the hormones. Or maybe the stress of the situation. Stress made him think weird things before. Like the time he was studying for his finals in summoning and he thought he heard a wolf howling in his closet. Loki felt his inner demons coming back up from the depths of his thoughts. They plagued him after he learned of his origins, and now it seemed like they weren't going to relent until Thor came smashing his broad shouldered way through the heavy wooden door. These evil thoughts that killed his conscious and made him react horribly towards anyone who reached out a helping hand. There were days where he couldn't help but hate his own mind for betraying his thoughts to nothing but untrustworthy whispers and pittering punches.

Thoughts of what monstrosities the Frost Giants were said to be…

Thoughts of him, joining the Frost Giants in battle, barely clothed and ugly…with brutish marks adorning his normally flawless skin… and cruel horns atop his head…like some sort of deranged minotaur…

Thoughts of him attacking the one person in the entire universe that he trusted beyond all others…

Thoughts of his sword, commanded by Laufey's will, killing the only family he'd ever really known, even if he did have his caveats against the blonde prince, Loki would never take Thor's life. His brother was his only true friend, even if they had parted ways a bit since they'd grown. Thor was the only person that would hide him after a prank went wrong, or stand by him when he claimed it was for humor and good spirits instead of chaos. Thor was the only person who-

…who really believed that Loki wasn't evil.

Images came flooding back to his head, beating his sore brain senseless and making him nauseous.

Thoughts of Thor being forced to his knees, bloody and broken, and executed by whatever other children the Frost Giant King had procured over the years (1)…

And these thoughts scared Loki…turned him against himself, tearing at his arms and face until Thor came in and found him bruised and beaten by his own hands. The tall blonde would be confused to say the least, swearing at first to kill the wretched bastard that did this to his little brother… until Loki told him that he was the one who hurt himself. At which point, Thor would find himself speechless for the first time in his life. After a few minutes of embracing the younger man, Thor would speak to Loki of all the times they'd been happy as children. And many tales later, Loki would relent into laughing at the elder boy. Thor would swear to him then that he'd protect Loki no matter what. Days would pass, and Loki would heal after Thor brought him some balms, managing to prove he'd learned how to sneak around from the mischief maker himself.

What a daydream.

Loki missed those dreams so much…. They had come and gone of their accord, mostly appearing when Loki least expected them. When he was dull inside, raw from hours of study and weeks of not talking to others (or real conversation, not his typical salutations in the hallway).

But all he could do right now was to focus on staying alive, and sleeping. There really wasn't much else to do in this dank dungeon.

* * *

><p>Fuck… the… snow…<p>

Seriously, fuck the snow.

Loki may have enjoyed this weather, but Thor was really beginning to hate it. After stowing the ship in a small, hidden cave, the Warriors Three and the Crown Prince of Asgard trekked their way through the frigid wasteland by foot. They could do little more than to hold their heavy cloaks tightly to their bodies while trying to make sure the four layers of other clothes they had on weren't getting too soaked with melting snow or sweat to serve their purpose. Thank Frigga her kindness, but the sooner they got Loki and got the Hel out of here, the better. They hadn't brought much on their trip from the boat, knowing that the palace was just ahead according to its placement on the map. They could easily run back to the ship when they had Loki's magic with them to unfreeze the way.

Thor was mentally preparing himself for the worst case scenario-

Namely, Loki being tossed aside like a used doll when they arrived, dead thanks to Jotun culture of killing runts…

Thor was having a hard time dealing with that thought, and quickened his pace through the blinding snow. Every day that he'd spent with Loki in the last few years had ended up with Loki disappearing in a huff or getting chased off by Sif. He felt so bad for his little brother, but was never able to find him after such an encounter. When Loki didn't want to be found, Thor wouldn't find him for days at a time. He could check every nook and cranny of the palace, and Loki wouldn't have even left a hair behind if he was there.

And if that thought wasn't enough, the red marked points on the map indicated there were guards at every entrance to the Jotun palace.

"You know, those guards probably won't be there in a few hours." Hogun said as they sighted two large Frost Giants holding their positions at the gates of the palace.

"What makes you say that, dear friend?" Thor asked as he started to look around for any other guards, vantage points, or places they could use to sneak through the large ice walls of the Jotun palace. They needed as many advantages as they could get, and this really wasn't helping the fact that they were well outnumbered and outmanned. But, in all fairness, they had been in worse situations than this before. They had managed to make it out Vanaheim after Fandral deflowered the second princess. And their amazing escape from Sif father when they were caught in the girl's room after curfew was nothing short of dazzling, even if it had resulted in Thor's ass landing in a briar bush. The Warriors Three had a bad habit of causing bar fights wherever they went these days. The drunken pubs of the traveler's watering holes were well versed in the brawls of Thor and his cohorts. And, like all Asgardians, none of them would turn down a good chance to fight.

"Aside from the standard changing of the guards every few hours, tonight's the night." Hogun the Grim said, living up to his name. Thor felt bile rising to the back of his throat at the idea of Loki being forced into the same room as those brutes. Loki could defend himself well enough in battle. Maybe not like Thor would hope he could, but Loki's magic was a different medium than his steel. But Loki was well outnumbered here. With Laufey present, it would have made it even harder for the younger prince to escape. Thor knew the tales of Laufey. He knew the brute strength and gruesome details of how the Frost Giants fought. He also knew that they weren't stupid either, and would have found a way to restrain Loki's abilities by now. The second prince's magic abilities were spoken about in all of the nine realms. They must have prepared a way to hold him somehow.

"We need to keep moving…" Thor said gruffly. Fandral placed a heavy hand on the other man's shoulder.

"Peace for your mind, my friend. A weighted mind cannot think straight, and will bring you only confusion in battle." The blonde haired man said. Thor smiled at the sudden insightfulness of the typical ladies man. One would think with all the trouble he'd caused for girls over the years, Fandral would be well versed in the ways of an easy going, stress free mindset.

"Tis right, Thor. If you want what's best for Loki, keep your wits about you and focus on getting him back. Or he may very well end up under those ghastly monsters…" Hogun said as he kept surveying. Thor felt the blood boiling in his veins at the thought of Loki pinned and beaten by those creatures. He controlled it well, but his anger was rising. Chances were Thor was about to blow their cover if he kept fighting his own growing temper. Hogun stopped a few more feet down the snowy hill and pointed to an obscured area of the wall, which was slightly cracked at the bottom. Not enough for a Frost Giant to notice, but enough for the four men to sneak through under the cover of darkness and not have to worry about being seen. They managed to get into a small cave hidden behind some wiry trees, nicely veiled from the patrolling Frost Giants. The cave was just outside the crack in the wall, and it would be easy to make the small run from the cave to the fissure without too much trouble. It would also provide an excellent place to hide if they needed to, should they be tailed by angry Frost Giants after the escape. They started to set their things down and huddle together. A fire would be out of the question if they were going to stay secluded.

Thor sighed while musing to himself of all the times he had with Loki. The other three turned towards their blonde companion with confusion shadowing their faces.

"Thor, are you alright?" Fandral asked as he took a pace back towards his friend.

"Yes…" Thor said begrudge. He feared for Loki so much, he didn't even want to tell his friends what had happened when Loki was younger.

"No, you are not. Talk my friend." Volstagg spoke as he started to eat again. The man always seemed to have food nearby.

"When we were younger… Loki learned of his Frost Giant birth…and thought himself an outcast, by no one's word." Thor said as he started to seat himself on a nearby lump of densely packed snow. Everything in this place seemed to be freezing snow.

"What? Thor, why didn't you tell us?" Hogun said as he looked incredulously, yet roughly, at the Prince. There was always a certain unspoken trust between the four boys. The fact that Thor had a something on his mind, and didn't let them help, bothered the Warriors Three.

"I thought it better to leave such matters in their grave. Perhaps it would mull over in time. But… he occasionally lapses back to those thoughts and refused to come out of his room for days at a time." Thor said as his face became stonier. To his surprise, Hogun was the one to place his heavy hand on the blonde man's shoulder this time.

"Well then, when we get him back, we'll have to make sure he never feels out of place again my friend. But stop worrying. He's a strong boy." Hogun encouraged, strangely positive for the solemn man.

"Ay!" Fandral said as he smirked his Casanova grin at the other blonde.

"And not a shameful soul should mess with our Prince and get away with it!" Volstagg spoke through a mouthful of meat.

"Aye… but it can't stop me from worrying about him…" Thor said with a heavy sigh, a sober smile supporting what little faith he had at the moment. It was true, he was really frightened for his brother's safety, and that was making his thoughts go rampant. A calm heart was out of the question, but maybe he could push it to the back of his chest while he focused on getting his brother back.

"That's normal. Just stay focused." Hogun said. Thor felt a warm, relieved wave wash over his body, only because they would be able to get into the palace in a few short hours.

"Now, what's the plan to bust into that Hel hole?" Fandral said as Hogun pulled out what appeared to be blueprints or a floor plan.

* * *

><p>1 Since Laufey kept having kids, they may come into play here. Depends on my mood next chapter~<p>

Major thankies to those who review!

We got 16 on Fanfiction last time~ and 7 on DA~ Let's see how many more we can get!


	7. In Too Deep

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Also- got more of my Kingdom Hearts Necklaces! I collect weird and unusual necklaces (as long as they are relatively tasteful by standards), and now I have Demyx's Sitar, Lexaus's Sword thingy, and Saix's modified weapon (it looks like a sword, but it's suppose to be his lunar thingy).

Me no own Marvel. The world owns Norse Mythology. Enjoy.

Major thanks to greydevilforever for helping me fix some things. If you see issues, please point them out to me (nicely! I'm sensitive about politeness!) because I am human and this (like all my work) is unbetaed. Yup. Totally me doing this.

* * *

><p>This was bad…<p>

This was really bad…

Loki's body was on fire…

Every inch of his being was indecisively switching between unreasonably hot and needy, to shivering and frustrated.

He didn't care at the moment who it was, but he NEEDED someone to help him get rid of this problem. Normally he would blame it on a spell gone badly, but this time wasn't like the other times. Other times he could stay in his room and be as aggravated as possible with his own hand as a comfort until it passed, feigning illness or spells on his need to stay away from the palace populous. This time, Loki felt the need for someone else's hands to caress his body. The wanton feeling of needing someone to brush against his neck with their nose, inhaling his scent, telling him that he meant the world to them… Odin, Loki needed it.

He needed someone to thrash their way through the guards and blast the heavy wooden door out of their way, throw him to the floor, and ravish his lithe body from tip to toe.

The dark haired boy couldn't even fight the idea of how painful and wrong it would be, he needed someone to take him… Elf, Asgardian, Dwarf, horse, hell- he'd even settled for one of those goats Thor kept!

Loki's inner rant was interrupted by fast paced footsteps slapping their way down the stone hallway of the frozen palace. They stopped in front of the prison door, and Loki took the shortened moment to dive back onto his temporary arrangements and wrapped himself back into the cloak. Better to pretend to be asleep instead of dealing with these buffoons. He only managed to close his eyes softly (tightly slammed eyes would only lead them on to his act) and listened carefully.

"But I can smell him! And father wanted us to have him! Who cares if it's now or in three hours? I want him now!" A deep, harsh voice came from outside the door. Loki, slightly fearful of those words, shivered under the covers.

"Shush Helbindi. You know father would be very unhappy if we broke tradition…" Another voice said as the other of the pair scratched at the door with his assumedly untrimmed nails. Loki could only find these massive beasts repulsive at best… making him all that much more certain that he wasn't related to these imbeciles anymore than he was a Midgard mule. He could only pray that he figured a way out of here soon, so he wouldn't be left to the mercy of the Frost Giant's mating cycle. The last thing he wanted to do was to be knocked up with a blue brat that wasn't even his choice…

"Oh please, you can smell it as well! He's in heat NOOWWW!" The deeper voice came through the thick wooden door at the end of the room. Loki silently thanked Laufey for locking the door and placing the guard spells on the normally much weaker wood. If the bastard hadn't, there was a good chance that Loki would be underneath the deeper voiced male outside his door right now.

"No brother… you know that father would have our heads for this. Hel, he'd probably go search for the corpse of the first born runt he had before us…" Helbindi said as he grabbed his brother's arm. Loki could hear them start to move away from the door, but did nothing.

"He left the brat to die in the temple the night of the loss. The corpse probably rotted or was eaten some time ago…" The other male said, voices growing distant the more they walked away.

"Even at that, you'd think he'd stop jesting about how runts deserve to die…" Helbindi said as he stopped in midstep to turn to his brother.

"Runts deserve to die, brother. That's just the way life is here. Either survive or die. No inbetween." The other voice said gruffly. Loki could feel tears trying to well in his eyes as his own thoughts took over. He was left in the temple to die as an infant, only because he was born small. That was no reason to leave him to die… that was unfair to him. His own mind didn't need to play sympathetic to remind him of where he stood with all creatures. All of the realms were either in pure hatred or laughter at the idea of the weaker prince of Asgard. They probably wouldn't lift a finger to help him in a time of need should it arise. And even thought Thor was here, he'd probably overlook the fact that his baby –adopted- brother needed his help, slay Laufey, and rescue the females while looking for the fastest way out.

Maybe….

Maybe Thor wouldn't save Loki at all…

Maybe… Loki would be left to die here after all…

Maybe he would be left to those giant morons outside the door…

Loki tried to curl back into his cloak in order to dissipate the ugly feeling in his gut. Perhaps sleep would force these unwanted emotions from his body. At least in slumber, he could just be Loki.

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><p>Night was beginning to fall, and Thor was at the lead of the group as they began to scale the walls of the Frost Giant Palace. The ice wasn't kind to their hands and their feet could barely gain purchase on the frozen walls.<p>

"It's not much farther ahead men… just… keep going…" Thor breathed, his voice giving with the cold air freezing his vocal cords. The night made for a great cover in this frozen wasteland, but the only downside was that everything got colder by the hour. So they had to hurry if they wanted to get out in one piece and still make it back to the ship. Even if they didn't make it back to the ship tonight, they would hide in the cave until they could move safely through the slightly warmer morning light.

"I take it the trickster won't be the only one we are rescuing?" Hogun said as he followed shortly behind Thor. Thor chuckled and gave his friend a quick 'aye'. The Warrior's Three knew Thor better than he knew himself most days, and the Prince of Asgard wouldn't leave anyone to the mercy of some barbaric ritual such as this.

"How many do you think there are?" Volstagg asked, trailing behind the other three men.

"My guess is about twenty to thirty. Anymore and they would have a war on their hands." Thor said as they approached the windowsill. It was dark, and there was no telling what was on the other side, so Thor lifted Mjolnir to reflect the image of the darkened corridor. When nothing but hallways and burned out torches appeared, the four men hauled themselves over the stony edge and threw themselves onto the floor. Hushing their rapid breathing, they concealed themselves under the cover of a tapestry, long since worn by years of exposure to the elements, and waited until they could move again without a muscle trying to kill them.

"Ready?" Thor asked as he prepared to start prowling the place for his younger brother. He had to find Loki. Asgard wasn't home without his little brother, and Thor refused to return to a place they once called home without the dark haired young man.

"About as ready as I ever will be. Remind me to get a white bear tooth before we leave…" Fandral said as they started to move forward, keeping cover under the darkness and the tattered tapestries.

The four men slowly made their way up to the corridors, where primal grunting could be heard. Thor didn't like the sounds of it at first, but then realized it was just the males starting to make noise. No action at the moment.

Thor waved his friends to come follow him around the room, staying in the shadows and climbing up to the rafters to stay out of the giants sight. The last thing they needed at the moment was a giant spotting them, and wreaking all their hard work with a battle. There were only four of them, and probably at least 70 Frost Giants here alone. With those numbers, even Thor couldn't beat his way out of the mayhem and ensure the safety of the captives at the same time. They would have to get Loki out of the way first, and then see if they could take out some of the arrogant bastards. Thor didn't care if they were going extinct, NO ONE hurt HIS Loki and lived to tell the tale. These assholes were already on thin ice (no pun intended) with Thor for stealing his little brother in the first place.

When they rounded the next corner (with Thor in the lead, listening this time, not looking) they found themselves in the middle of sheer chaos.

The ritual was beginning, and the Frost Giants were restless. The girls were fighting back, and well outnumbered.

Fandral wasn't one to wait- not when an woman was in danger.

He leapt in thrusting his sword through one Frost Giant and pulling it back as it shattered into ice.

Hogun turned to Thor as Fandral began the fight and Volstagg ran ahead on the grim man.

"You get Loki, we'll keep these morons busy. Go now, while things are tied up here!" Hogun said as he ran off in the same direction as his friends. Thor ran towards the hallway nearby, hoping Loki was here somewhere, since he didn't see any dark hair tuffs among the girls in the large chamber.

They entered his cell before he even awoke fully.

He reached for his book in his cloak.

And reached.

And reached more.

Emptiness met his hand where his spell book had been. They must have taken it while he was resting.

Loki couldn't hold back a scream as the larger males shoved his tiny form against the cold stone wall.

"GET OFF ME!" He screamed as he tried to beat the massive bulks of blue flesh off his body. His magic wasn't responding to his flustered mind. He kicked and threw his arms out, but the Frost Giants just grabbed his arms and shoved them against the young prince's sides. He felt a strong tug on the center of his body as he focused on a blast spell. His magic still wouldn't respond, fighting against him at every instance. He managed to glance over at his arm to see a dark, bloody cut embedded in his flesh. It resembled a rune he'd seen long ago, when he was studying ancient magic.

"What- What have you done to me?" Loki growled out. The Frost Giants laughed.

"We just made sure you wouldn't try anything stupid. Don't worry. You won't need that pesky magic when we're taking care of you." The Frost Giant said as he licked Loki's face. Loki felt the vomit rising in his throat.

"You… bastards." Loki held what little patience he had left in check, trying to figure out what to do to get out of here.

"Shut up…" One of them growled as they pulled at his tunic. This was their first meeting. Weren't they suppose to at least buy him a drink first? Or go dancing or something? Dinner perhaps? Loki didn't recall signing up for a fuck and run.

"GET OFF M-" Loki's sentence was cut short as a bit of fabric was stuffed into his mouth. He thrashed and kicked with every bit of strength he had left in him, if nothing more than a last ditch effort to discourage these brutes.

"A sweet little tart like you doesn't come along every season… you should be grateful you get to live…" The smallest of the group said as he ran a large, mottled hand along the prince's clothed inner thigh. Loki could feel frustrating tears coming from his eyes, but did nothing to quell them. This wasn't consensual, and it certainly wasn't what he was expecting for his first time-

A crash from outside interrupted the event, forcing all of the men to look at the heavy wooden door locked tightly from within. The leader motioned for them to continue as he went to investigate. Both looked hungry in a weird fashion, eyeing Loki like a piece of rare meat that was only given to them on formal occasions. They started to ravish his exposed flesh, licking everywhere they could get their grainy tongues across as Loki shrieked in fear. He kicked out and flailed out against the larger forms as he tried to free himself, or at least hold off.

Another crash sent the men back to reality.

The sharp crack of wood and metal forced the males from the bed, manhoods hard and wanting despite the interruption, as they stormed over to the door.

An instant later, said door was shattered into splinters as a familiar war cry roared through the dungeon, sending strange shivers up Loki's spine as he trembled in tension against the wall.

Loki could only watch in strange slow motion as Thor, covered in a sheen of sweat and appearing as fierce as a wild jungle cat, slammed his hammer through the two Frost Giant brothers. Loki himself was so lost in the actions of the hero that he wasn't registering anything beyond the perfect form of his adopted brother's muscles. They moved like a tigers… sleek and well modeled underneath the taught skin as Thor's brilliant blue eyes turned towards the younger man. Loki felt his chest trembling underneath the gaze of the other man, but it was in a new sense. Something he'd never felt before…

It felt like a cool cloth had been placed on his warm heart, and was slowly making him relax. Yet exciting his fingers to grab and his mouth to kiss and ravish his brother's lips. He knew he shouldn't think this way, but it was difficult to think at all without getting dizzy. He couldn't take his eyes away from his brother.

"Loki…" Thor said as he approached the younger man. Loki, shivering at the sound of his name on the blonde man's lips, whined in need as Thor came closer. The cloth gag made it impossible to do much more.

"Loki… I'm here…" Thor said as he reached down and removed the gag from the younger man. Loki pulled his arms in as Thor threw his armored arms around the younger man's form, crushing him against the battle weary armor. Thor held his brother as close to his body as he could without intentionally hurting the younger prince. Thor freed one hand momentarily to gather his cloak from the floor where it had fallen.

"Thor… it hurts…"Loki finally growled as he was picked up from the floor and wrapped in the green cloak. At least until they got back to Asgard, it would have to do. He noted that Loki was missing his book as he lifted him up.

"What hurts?" Thor asked, trying to get a good look at Loki for any visible injuries.

"Everything… too hot…" Loki said as he leaned into Thor and pressed his feverish cheek against the elder male's cool shoulder spaldron (1), trying to cool himself just a little.

"Just relax. I get you to a healer soon. I promise…" Thor said with a gentle press of his lips to Loki's head.

Loki was trying to be gentle with his injured arm, but Thor could see how tenderly he was moving it. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the distinct smell of blood and darkened red-brown rune on his arm indicated a skinning. Thor took Loki's hand in his own and kissed it slightly as he held the entire weight of his brother in his other arm.

"I swore I'd find you…" Thor said as he kissed the younger man's hand again. Loki could feel tears welling in his eyes from frustration, and a wave of guilt for what he'd thought of Thor not only a few hours ago. He gripped his brother's torso with all the strength he had left in him, trying to escape the elder man's grasp. He needed space. He needed space badly. He couldn't generate much strength as he fought against the larger god's bulk. He must have lost more blood than he thought.

"Come, I must get you out of here…" Thor said as he turned for the broken door and the reforming ice particles that were the Frost Giant soldiers. They had about four minutes to get out of the fortress, and judging by the silence that met them as Thor carried the injured Loki down the hall, the Warriors Three had not only finished off the other Frost Giants, but had started to get the females out while they could. Chances were the other Frost Giants had already reformed once were starting to reform more slowly the second time they'd been shattered.

Thor was almost to the exit when he saw Fandral headed back to help them.

"Thor!" Fandral yelled, running towards them. Thor picked up his pace and kept his eyes open for any other attacks that may have come their way. A glance at Loki showed the younger man had fallen into unconsciousness, most likely due to the stress and strain of his ordeal.

"I got him." Thor said as he walked beside Fandral towards the exit. There was no real need to say more, Fandral could see that the younger prince was out like a light. Thor could see where the footprints in the falling snow were starting to fade quickly. This would benefit them when running from the Frost Giants for the night.

"Hogun and Volstagg are headed for the ship with the women. No one was seriously hurt, but there are a few girls who might not be out of the fire yet." Fandral said as he helped Thor onto one of the icy colored deer they had used to transport the ladies earlier. They had wrangled a whole herd of them in the palace courtyard, and while it wasn't a horse, it would bear enough weight for this job. They took off on the two deer, Thor holding Loki's slumping form tightly to his chest as Fandral lead the way to the isolated cave.

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><p>Spaldron: armor that covers the outside of the shoulder. The best example I can think of is Sephiroth in Final Fantasy Kingdom Hearts. He has silver ones. Or Zack… I miss Zack… WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DIE? *dumbass hero… we love you too much to watch you die… -sniffles-*

WHEW! Hellish two weeks… no joking, physics scared me a for a while there, and I had to deal with a really rude lab partner who frankly has no business going into the medical fields (she's a nurse right now… I don't know how bad her ratings are, but talking about people behind their backs and making snide remarks about someone's culture is not the way to stay on top… wouldn't be surprised if she got thrown out of any medical school for not working well with others…). Anyways, review to win, fav to win, sit there and do nothing to lose.

I LOVE MY REVIEWERS!


	8. Struggling

RAGE TYPE!

*types for three hours*

Feels better now…

Long… stressful… god awful week.

Thank you physics, I didn't think it was possibly, but I actually went partially insane while studying for you and thought I saw a bear reading my textbooks in the living room. (hint: It's an Owl City song quote, though that would be awesome)

Winners!: Reviews: Nian, Unamerican, brpetal, Shi-Toyu, Azure-Wulfe, Key of Randomness –Alexis-, seruba-phantom, AlteaAuroraRia, BradenIsMyMonkey, Jaquiqui, Queenie13, animehime20, JMCaptein, LadySigyn, Windchime1212, Chrystel Malfoy-Potter, PerlaB4, yaoifan33, and Luvin Lavi!

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Everyone listed above wins 1000 cybercookies! That's what you win each time you review (and once if you fav/alert, etc)

I don't own marvel, and Norse Mythology belongs to the world. I make no money off this. But this is my idea, no stealing.

Maybe you guys can give me some feedback: Was the rewrite worth it so far? Please be honest. I took out a lot and built an entirely different story from here onwards. It's still going to be juicy with drama, but Loki's more angsty and Thor's… well, thickheaded Thor.

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><p>Loki stared at the darkened underbelly of the ship. He was the only person in the <em>Thunderrunner'<em>s storage area, and found himself slightly wishing there was someone else that he wasn't indebted to on the ship that he could prank. He wished that Thor had never had to find him in such a pitiful state as this. Beaten, bruised, and arms still raw as Hel with the unfamiliar sigils of lost magic from Jotenheim. He hadn't been able to summon his magic since he'd awoken on the ship not long ago. He could hear murmuring from the deck above him, where the light barely streamed through the tiny cracks in the boards, but chose not to investigate until he had some kind of magic working again.

He was a sorcerer for Odin's sake. This shouldn't be happening to him. He should have been able to blast his way out of the damned dungeon on his own and teleported himself back to Asgard before any of this…humiliation- had begun. He shouldn't have relied on Thor to save him. The big lummox hadn't even gotten there in time to stop Loki from losing his magic. What if it was gone for good? What if he couldn't prove his worth through his spells anymore? Would he become useless? Who the Hel in their right mind would want a worthless prince of Asgard who couldn't fight well or cast spells to have any right to the throne? Not that he'd ever wanted the throne. He just wanted to be Thor's equal. But Odin would never see that. Instead, he left him to the rabid Joten dogs as their toy. Odin wouldn't have shown up even if Thor had begged him. That was the curse of being a 'second born'. Odin probably saw him as nothing more than a bargaining chip. What use was a bargaining chip when it had no value?

Asgard…

Home…

The ideas alone calmed the tense muscles in Loki's back. He felt putrid hatred of everything he'd ever known rising in his mind. Asgard didn't care for him. They never did.

He was the worthless prince Loki.

Annoying prince Loki.

No one would miss him.

Not a single soul.

Despite what Thor preached about, crowing like a rooster from every roof in Asgard, he was just doing this for appearances. He didn't care about Loki anymore than the next flea that hopped onto the hunting dogs.

"Thor, take a break. Go check on Loki." Hogun's voice came through the woodwork. Loki raised an ear to the sounds above them, trying to eliminate the creaking and squeaking of the boat from the sound of the men's voices.

"I can go check!" Fandral said as Loki heard a pair of feet rising to the challenge. He heard a chuckle from the three other men.

"Sorry Fandral, but I think my brother would prefer to see me first… not that we don't trust you with attractive people in a quiet, dark place; who happen to be slumbering…" Thor said as Loki heard the familiar elephant footsteps hitting the deck at a slow pace. He must have assumed that Loki was still asleep. Loki decided to let his tiny smirk down and pretend he was asleep, just to hear the words that his brother might say to a sleeping, unconscious Loki rather than an alert and fairly quick tongued Loki. Playing dead was one of Loki's special techniques. He had practiced it over and over, perfecting the right breathing tone and speed while allowing his body to go completely limp. He released his shoulders and back to form to the basket's contours while his head rolled to the side, slumping against a basket of … flowers? Why did they have flowers- wait Loki. Don't ask. You probably don't want to know what three grown men have flowers on board a fast runner ship…

"Well, actually, we don't!" Volstagg joined in. The men laughed wholeheartedly. These were good times… thwarting Frost Giants (which would undoubtedly come back to haunt them…), drinking, taking a bunch of women home, saving a trapped prince, and laughing with each other. Loki longed to be part of that laughter. He had never felt like he fit in.

Thor's footsteps came towards the trapdoor that held the ship's belly. Loki heard the wood open and the sounds of clearer chuckling men echoing through the air. He heard the elder brother come down and carefully (well, as carefully as a dancing hippopotamus with lead shoes…) tiptoed his way through the darkened storage area. Loki found a warm, battle refined hand on his forehead, which then slipped down to Loki's cheek and brushed it gently. Loki hated this feeling… it was the first real touch he had wanted since going into heat. The other's touches were somewhere between unwelcomed and required by his body, not really wanted. Loki repressed a moan by trying to listen in on what Thor was saying. He was whispering something…

"You know… well, you don't know, but I was really worried about losing you again." Thor started, leaving a confused Loki hushed in his faked slumber. "You… you mean the world to me… and… I won't have anyone else… oh that's bad. What would you like to hear? I'm really not good with words like you. But that doesn't stop my feelings for you… you… you are my better half already. You talk me down from stupid ideas. Heh, you'd laugh at that if you were awake…" Thor whispered slowly. Loki tried to keep the quarreling emotions in his chest from rising too much.

He didn't want to trust Thor yet. He didn't want to trust anyone. If he _had_ to trust someone, it might as well have been the blonde man. He was the only person that Loki could think of that didn't lie to him. Lies were all he knew. That's how he ended up as the God of Mischief. Constantly lied to his entire life, he saw no reason to tell the truth to others. Even his mother, the one person he thought would want the best for him in life, had lied to him since the day he could understand words.

Loki couldn't keep this ups anymore, he moaned against the gentle brush. He slipped as hand out of the cloak and allowed himself to act on his fantasies. He shoved Thor away from him, eliciting a yelp of surprise from the larger man.

Thor, still staggering, opened his closed eyes and pulled himself back up. Loki's eyes opened, not wanting to lose the moment, and he allowed a small smile to grace his lips. Thor gaped for a moment, collecting his formerly peaceful thoughts.

"You were saying?" Loki spoke. Thor leaned down and pulled his younger brother into a hug. Loki growled and groaned in annoyance, throwing his weakened good arm against his brother's face and pushing him off. Thor, refusing to relent from the weak attempt to gain distance, pressed his lips into Loki's forehead for a moment and held him there, just rocking him back and forth slowly.

"I…we… I thought I'd lost you…" Thor spoke, his voice unusually small for his typical stature. Loki threw his arms back in frustrated surrender. At his best strength on a good day, Loki couldn't pry Thor off one of his rough hugs.

"I'm here now… and… Thor…" Loki grumbled.

"Loki, we will be in Asgard in a few short hours. I promise…" Thor said as he ruffled the younger man's hair again. Loki sighed.

"Thor… you lummox-" Loki started, and Thor sat up, holding Loki at arm's length.

"Yes Loki?." Thor said gently, doing his best to keep the stressed sorcerer calm.

"Thor, let go" Loki said, pressing himself away from the elder man, a grumpy expression adorning his facade.

"What do you mean?" Thor asked. Loki sighed.

"I could really use some space, Thor. Nothing personal." Loki said as he glared at Thor while his good hands fingers clenched. Thor smirked at the younger male, then leaned in and kissed him on the nose while his rough hand went to work grabbing the emerald cloak and pulling the younger man towards him.

"Aw, don't tell me you're going to go back to sleep?" Thor teased, nuzzling Loki again on this cheek.

"Well, yes…" Loki responded, trying not to give away his real intentions. Despite understanding there were going to be some spells involved, but he needed to figure out how to get this rune off his arm before anything else happened. He didn't want to have to rely on Thor to protect him. The idea alone was enough to cause his blood to boil. He wasn't weak.

He wasn't weak!

"Have it your way then." Thor said next, kissing Loki's other cheek. Loki swatted out a hand at the older man, glaring at him even more than he was previously.

"Thank yo-" Loki's response was cut off by a kiss on the lips. The sensation of Thor's eel like tongue on his made Loki tear away from the older man with shock.

"Welcome, lovely Loki." Thor said as he released the younger male for a mere moment. He kept pressing his nose into Loki's cheek while pinning him to the wall, elongating the soft touch for every moment he could bear.

"So?" Loki growled, only to lose to Thor's advances in the next moment.

"So, I'll leave you to your thoughts. Just don't set the ship on fire, please."Thor said as he pressed the younger man back into the baskets.

"Thank you, Thor…" Loki whispered out as his voice trembled with rage. Part of him really wished Thor would have waited until they were back in Asgard safely before asking him to do such a thing. What if his friends saw? What would they think? That Loki enchanted Thor to do that? Would they run to Odin and have him banished back to Jotenheim for corrupting the crown prince of Asgard?

That's when he felt the other problem.

Loki was shivering in pain as soon as Thor closed the door behind him. The rune was stinging horribly. It felt like someone was branding him. It made him dizzy and nauseous, causing him to slump back into the pile of baskets. He raised his good arm to his forehead and held it, trying to concentrate on what to do.

The pain became worse and worse, eventually causing the young man to topple over. He refused to call for Thor. He couldn't let them see him like this. It was humiliating. He was already as weak as a new born baby, the last thing he needed was for Thor to get some stupid idea of how he was a damsel in distress, needing his big brother to save him from vomiting all over the _Thunderrunner_.

Darkness claimed him in less than a minute, but he felt his flesh burning the entire time.

* * *

><p>WOOOOOTTTTT! F- PHYSICS! I QUITTTTTTTT!<p>

No really, i'm done until next year… where I'll have to take part 2. Fun. -_-'

Anyways… read, review, the more reviews I get the more time I will spend on vacation typing in my spare time (when I'm not off my rocker from Margaritaville). Still. Reviews are my essence~ please provide them for this starving artist.


	9. Pacing between books

Bad few weeks… October is always a bad month. Between the parents increased fighting chances (as thoroughly proven in the last few hours), and the overall stress of the month, I could barely find time to have fun with my beloved friends. Thankfully I did, because I was about to kill someone at this rate. They are fighting over the news of all things. Oh, and they want me to early vote, and to be honest, this Friday is going in the 'bad days' bucket (which is more like a tanker truck by this point). I'm really ticked about the whole thing… so let's write a little to let some of the stress out…

I really just want to thank all my watchers and reviewers so far. Reading your comments while going through this time got me back to a normal state of mind. (and ok, I ignored one who didn't really read my piece, just judged it by the first chapter).

Reviews! ~to my ever loving reviewers, who brighten my day every time I see their loving comments -and subsequently ignore the trolls~: Charisma B, ShiTiger, serina-phantom, Yoru no Nx, EclipsedDevil13, Jaquiqui, ladykale1985, Autobot Firecat (I love transformers!), Somebodys-Nobody, Hiatsu (grabs Cap's shield!), abbye13, Vishous-girl, BradenIsMyMonkey, japanesehon1, You Me and Obsession, Piratelizard101, Advena and life-is-a-road-love-is-a-river! 1000 cybercookies each!

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Edit: Entire chapter was redone. I hope you enjoy… I worked really hard on it.

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><p>Loki came closer to the window for the eighth time in the last 15 minutes. Pacing around his room was not that entertaining, but going to the library was a good way to take out the energy he'd built up worrying about what life had dished out to him in the last few days.<p>

Aside from feeling completely useless without his magic, Loki had tried to utilize his time with the healers and his magic teacher to find a reversal spell for the rune. All the removal spells hadn't even made a dent in the now browning rune carved into his arm. It still stung, even with the healer's painkilling salve applied practically every hour on the hour. He couldn't use his left arm for anything while it was stuck in such a state. Moving it alone was nearly impossible, so flipping through book after book was proving aggravating at best. His magic teacher took pity on the prince (not that Loki wanted pity, but couldn't argue under the given circumstances) and told the boy to sit down while he searched for a while.

Thor wasn't being a big help in this fiasco either. His choice of help was to stand near the emerald clad sorcerer and peer over his shoulder at the markings on the pages. Thor wasn't skilled at magic, so seeing these higher level texts must have been a real thrill. The thunderer was currently messing with a statue of Bor in the corner of the magic hall; not too far from the mischief maker, but not close enough to get swept up in the conversation.

Page after page passed by Loki's eyes, following all the scrolls that they'd looked through already. Nothing seemed to match the rune. They couldn't even tell exactly what the damned thing did to the younger prince, so there was no reason to start casting preventative spells or reversing runes. Loki himself was starting to feel nauseous again, raising his good hand to his forehead and holding it there. Thor was by his side in a moment, the over grown puppy dog eyes meeting Loki's as the sorcerer glared at him through fingers covering his eyes. He hated feeling that Thor had to play nursemaid to him like this. He was a prince of Asgard in his own right. The rest of the populous didn't know about what had happened yet. Heimdall wouldn't speak of Loki's origins to any soul, even if they begged. The Warriors Three answered the Thor, so they wouldn't betray the young prince who was currently trying to close off the library as an attempt to mold himself into a book.

There was one problem though.

Sif.

She was always trying to pry the two brothers as far apart as possible. She hated Loki with her whole heart and would not stop at anything to make Loki look as evil as the Serpent of Eden. Loki was beginning to think that she was setting up her own, much more devious, pranks to make him look bad. Everyone expected a prank from Loki. He was Loki after all. But Loki's signature pranks always ended in everyone laughing. So while no one else believed him, Sif's pranks were gaining him a bad reputation around Asgard. Not that he cared as much anymore. He found himself hating everyone around here more by the minute. Between the lies he had endured from Odin and the overall sense of personal failure he was fighting with at this moment, Loki found it hard to think of Asgard as anything less than a prison cell.

"Loki?" Thor's hefty voice came from beside him. Loki pried his eyes open slowly, noting that he smelled food nearby. He glanced at Thor, who held out a plate of potatoes and chicken to the younger prince. Loki took a moment to realize he was supposed to take the plate from his brother.

"How late is it?" Loki asked, silently thanking Thor in his own way by allowing the blonde to sit beside him without a glare. Loki glanced at the setting sun for a moment, gladly taking in the variety of colors that adorned the sky in their own painting. Loki loved the sky. It was so free and willing to do whatever it pleased. Loki wished that his own mind could have done that, but every time he tried to do anything these days without thinking about the consequences- it came back to bite him. He was becoming more wary of how he tried to work things out, and that his pranks seemed less funny to him. He never thought he'd lose interest in pulling pranks, but the feeling of joyful elation he normally felt with the laughter that came from a prank was dying.

"It's dusk, and dinner started an hour ago. I thought you were too busy to be bothered, so I got some for you." Thor tested the water, watching his words carefully. He knew Loki was still very upset about his magic. He hadn't even allowed Odin to see him since their arrival in the early morning two days ago. Thor didn't know what to say to the younger prince. He hated to see his family so disjointed, but there was very little he could do to improve the problem with Odin and Loki. Loki was too hurt to let anyone in at the moment, and Thor could see that he was having difficulty even allowing the man he'd known his entire life as his brother to be this close. Thor only wanted what was best for Loki, but these days he didn't know what was going through the sorcerers mind. He feared that Loki might try something drastic to make himself feel worthy of being an Asgardian. He wished that Loki could see what everyone else saw in him: a kind prince who had just become unraveled by the events of the past weeks. Loki never knew that even his most upsetting pranks were laughed at later on. For some reason, Loki seemed to drag himself deeper and deeper into a dense and silent rage at the idea of Asgard. Thor couldn't figure it out, but would gladly do anything to help his little brother.

"Thank you…" Loki whispered out, not wanting to look at the elder prince. Thor had been so tolerant of him in his melancholy, and Loki figured it was out of pity. Those overly soft eyes, pillowing Loki's every thought as he tried to glare at his brother. He couldn't even keep up a harsh façade as he saw Thor pulling a chair closer. He didn't miss his brother's eyes running over his slashed arm. He wanted to cover it up, but chose not to. Thor had been kind enough to bring him dinner instead of forcing him to venture down to hundreds of eyes watching his every weakened movement- judging him like a pack of wolves' sizes up an injured lamb. He was easy pickings, and certainly anyone who had an ax to grind with the younger prince would capitalize on this opportunity to tear at him.

"How's the search coming along?" Thor asked, trying to gain some purchase at common conversation with the younger prince. Loki grimaced at the elder prince. He didn't want to talk about it, but there wasn't much else that would be acceptable to Loki to talk about right now.

"It's coming along. We've narrowed down what type of spell it means." Loki said as he relaxed his shoulders, forgetting his vices and walls to allow Thor a moment of exhausted peace. A quick glance around let Loki know that they were the only ones left in the hallowed library.

"Would you need anything specific to get rid of…" Thor asked as he took Loki's hand and turned it gently to reveal a bandaged wrist "this…" Thor continued, casting a slow and steady thumb over his brother's bandages. He could see where the blood had pecked through the white dressings. The knife had cut deeply, and Loki must have been under a lot of ether to allow such torture to happen to him when he couldn't retaliate. Loki frowned at the bloody mess.

"I don't know. I'm hoping that all we need is here. I don't want to return to Jotenheim to get rid of this horrid thing." Loki growled through his teeth as he rested a tight hand on his damaged wrist. Thor placed his unoccupied hand over his brother's, trying to ease his mind as best he could. Thor hated to see Loki so stressed out. It just wasn't his beloved little brother. It wasn't the boy he'd grown up with.

"We'll do what we need to. Anything to get you back to being our Loki." Thor said as he pulled the younger man into his chest while Loki was trying to swallow a piece of bread. Thor's chest met Loki's cheek, and the mischief maker felt the thunderer's nose pressing into the top of his head. The urge to pull away and curl into his chair ran over Loki' as he attempted to struggle, but lost the will quickly when he reminded himself that Thor had been kind to him. Thor wasn't a threat. Thor was… well- Thor. The same Thor that he'd known every day since he was a baby.

The same Thor that had saved him from his mistakes time after time.

That same Thor that had gladly welcomed his younger brother into his bed after a nightmare, even in the darkest hours of Asgard's evenings.

He had no reason to fear or push the larger man away. He just needed to get use to people holding him.

"Am I disrupting something?" Odin's voice came from the entrance of the library. Loki glared at the ruler as Thor released him.

"No sir…" Loki growled at the elder. Thor smiled lightly at Loki before turning his attention back to the Allfather.

"Thor, may I borrow you for a few moments? It won't take long." Odin said as he started to walk back out the door. Loki looked to Thor for a moment. He ruffled Loki's hair gently and immediately lifted himself from his chair. Odin wouldn't be kept waiting.

They passed down three hallways until they were out of an earshot of the library, but not close to the feasting hall either.

"What is it father?" Thor asked as he watched the tense man calm himself.

"In light of the recent events, it has come to my attention that Loki will need to be claimed by a man soon." Odin said as he tried to look Thor in the eyes. This was a hard subject for the man to discuss to say the least.

"Claimed? He's not a dog or a trophy, father. He doesn't need to be won. Let him choose who he wants to be with- if anyone at all." Thor barked. He didn't like the idea of his little brother being taken by someone- anyone for that matter. Loki was **his** brother. His to love. His to torment. His to comfort and his to be one with.

"I cannot, Thor. He won't think straight in a few days, and I can't trust him to make a good decision under his current state. Now, I don't like the idea either, Thor. But I'm afraid we will have to relent and allow his Joten nature to take course." Odin replied.

"But father! Certainly there must be something you can do. It's Loki after all! What if someone abused him? Or used him to gain the throne one day?" Thor stammered as he tried to convince Odin that this wasn't right.

"I'm sorry, Thor. But soon, Loki will feel the need to have someone slate his undying lust. He won't be himself once it sets in. We need to find him an adequate man to marry him. We will make sure they can't harm him." Odin said as he tried to calm his eldest. Thor, surprisingly enough, had an epiphany. And the world wasn't falling apart yet!

"Father… what if… I volunteered to court Loki?" Thor said, boldly expressing his confidence in his abilities. Odin glared at the eldest prince.

"No, Thor. By all means, you are brothers. This isn't right." Odin replied.

"No, father. He is your adopted son. I am your son. We are brothers, but my love for him is not in the mottled realm of incest. You know this will reach the ears of Asgards' good people, and they will not be happy. And after all, I'm the only one who can keep Loki calm for more than a few minutes." Thor countered with a surprisingly intelligent argument.

"I know. Perhaps…" Odin gruffly pondered for a moment.

"Allow me a chance to court him first. Please father. For Loki's sake. I don't want him to feel like he's being forced to wed a man he doesn't know. A man they may want nothing more than to bed him once ever few months and leave him otherwise." Thor pleaded. Odin saw reason in his son's words.

"He is already temperamental as far as our decisions have guided him." The kind voice of Frigga came from behind Odin, startling both men. Thor welcomed his mother with a small smile and an outstretched arm.

"Father, I don't want Loki to feel like he's been left out of the family. Please. It's for the best. He'd make a wonderful queen." Thor joked at the end. Loki was more beautiful than most of the women in Asgard, Sif included. He was also better versed in the designs of politics and policies concerning Asgard and it's relations than Thor had ever even tried to delve into.

"I'm not sure of a trickster having such claim to the throne." Odin voiced bluntly. Thor was about to argue when Frigga jumped in.

"If I recall correctly, you were quite the trickster yourself when you were Loki's age. You turned out to be a good ruler. And he has recently sobered up considerably." Frigga sliced through Odin's attack with ease. The Allfather was outdone here. Odin was a prankster in his youth, which is why Frigga caught his eye when she laughed at the pranks he pulled on his own siblings and friends.

"But I never moped in the library for days on end!" Odin huffed.

"No, you moped on the training grounds. And on more than one occasion, you smashed your foot with an ax and a hammer. Not to mention the times you nearly decapitated Bor when he came to see you in your moods." Frigga snipped. Odin grimaced at the memory while Thor tried to contain his laughter.

"The boy needs to get out more. All he does is play with his magic. I hardly ever see him go to the training grounds at all." Odin said. Frigga frowned at the ruler with her arms crossed.

"Odin, he needs to get that rune off his arm first. You'll have to accept that Loki isn't physically strong. He is skilled with magic. That talent alone is rare. How many healers do we have in Asgard that can wield magic?" Frigga asked pointedly.

"If memory serves me… 13. Not including Loki." Odin answered. Frigga tilted her head towards him, as if to push the point.

"Asgard has the most living magic wielders of any of the nine realms, excluding Alfheim. You shouldn't judge Loki's abilities to rule based on his sword skills." Frigga reminded him. Odin sighed roughly, releasing all the pressure built up in his lungs. He raised a hand to his eyes and rubbed them.

"What do you say, father?" Thor joined back in the conversation, mirth painted on his face like a powered donut blowjob.

"Fine. I relent. Thor, you may have first chance at courting Loki. But! If he loses interest and tries to distance himself from you, you lose the chance and must allow another to court him without contest." Odin stoically barked at his son. Thor felt like a school boy who had received his first toy. Frigga was satisfied by this approval, and waited until Thor was gone from their sights to speak to Odin once more.

"Ah…" She sighed, looking to her husband. "All these memories made me remember what I came to find you about."

Odin looked at her with an inquisitive eye. She bore her perky smile at him and turned quickly.

"Our chambers, fifteen minutes."

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><p>And I'm off to bed. Yup... don't ask... insomnia and depression slowly killing me.<p>

Read... review... I'm resting. Good night. Bottom of Form


	10. Brutal Scars and Bath Time

WINNERS! Reviews: CleverBast, Autobot Firekat, The Cap and Spectre, Charisma B, BlackStarChan, abbye13, LunaKnyte, EclipsedDevil13, I.C.2014, Key of Randomness -Alexis-, LunaticV, ladykale1985, serina-phantom, Jaquiqui, Unamerican, animehime20, JMCaptain, jadedheart25, BlazePheonix, greydevilforever, Hyper Kid, Cordella Darcy, Iloveanime9251, Piratelizard101, LuvinLavi, kaszz-chan, LoveOfPower, PerlaB4, animehime20, and randysixx! 1000 cybercookies to each person who reviewed!

Major Thanks to Hyper Kid and greydevilforever! Hyper Kid caught a mistake I'd been making for 2 chapters (whoops!) which is now fixed. Greydevilforever gave me a major confidence boost… thanks. I really needed that!

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Anonymous Reviews has been disabled thanks to some coward. For those who love to hate writing, do us all a favor and go back to the little hole you call home in your mother's basement with your porn and creepy hentai figures. I think I know who you are too… which kinda proves a point here… so, straw off my back! *goes back to real life* btw, they went by the name E. Just E… not very creative. But proves another point. Trolls should be thrown into pedophile prisons and the guards should look away.

Edit: Redone from this point forward. Might have mixed up who reviewed when. But your name is still there, promise.

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><p>It burned.<p>

It stung and flared at every breath.

Sleep was impossible for Loki at this point. Even with the healing salve that the medics had given him earlier, the rune was becoming hotter and hotter by the moment. On top of that, a strange, unwelcomed pull at his groin every time the damnable thing flared was causing Loki to toppled into himself in a mixture of pain, pleasure, and nausea. The full extent of the rune had decided to show itself in the middle of the night, waking poor Loki with its flaring. He tossed and turned in his bed, not wanting to venture outside his locked door to tell a guard to get a healer. The effects of this rune were embarrassing to say the least, and the less people who knew the better. He would bring this to his teacher tomorrow, and quickly get rid of it. The embarrassment would stay between his mentor and himself. No one else would need to know that the trickster had been brought to his knees and reduced to nothing more than a horny mortal by a stupid rune. They would never let him live it down. They would jest and torment him about it for the rest of his days. Some of the less savory warriors might even try to bed him over the idea. He could hear them now.

'_Hey Loki, need a little help with that rune today?'_

'_Loki, We can help you with your problem'_

'_Such a thrall, but at least you can't use magic anymore'_

If his recent luck had anything to say about it, Thor himself would start to make excuses to mess with his younger brother over the stupid mark. Loki just couldn't take that. Years of wondering what would happen if Thor actually did make an advance on him had left the younger man testy around the older prince. He didn't know if he could keep his own intentions in check if he was approached by the older man. Thor was always such a driving force in Loki's life. Trying to compare himself to Thor had caused Loki to seek advances in magic. Since there was no way that Loki would ever be able to keep up with Thor in physical combat (not that he couldn't hold his own, but Thor was always bound to be stronger than him), magic was his only solution. He soared in the mystical arts where most only floundered and flopped.

Another shock of warm electricity curled its way around Loki's body as the rune fizzled. It had been hours since this had started, and his personal musings could only entertain him for so long. Dawn would break soon, and the moment it did, he planned to rush to the library and await his mentor. If he could get it off before Thor noticed, it would be perfect.

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><p>Thor awoke to an early morning. The sun was barely peaking over the edge of the horizon, and the wind was still as calm as the night sky. One thing he loved about living in the palace was way the winds blew into the halls. His room was situated perfectly so the wind would breeze itself into the thunderer's room each morning. Loki's was opposite of his. His was angled for a good moon light at night and for the sunset to cast a perfect dying glow on his bed each evening. It used to be the reason Loki was late for dinner each night, until he discovered his talent in magic. Thor envied Loki for his talent. Loki could create such wonder, where Thor could not. With a flick of the wrist, Loki could fabricate an entire army of butterflies to follow the mightiest warrior around until the end of the day. He used to love enchanting books to read to him when he was tired of letting his own eyes scan the pages hour after hour. Loki was just so… talented like that. Thor wished he could help his brother, because Loki was his only real interest at the moment.<p>

Loki had quickly become the center of Thor's life. Not that his friends didn't fill up a good portion of that, but Loki was an oddity on his own. He never smiled or acted like he wanted to be around people, and that bugged Thor. It bugged him so much that he stalked the poor boy when he was younger, trying to figure out why the younger man hated Asgard's people so much. It didn't take much snooping to find that Asgard's people didn't favor Loki like they favored Thor. The saw weakness and tricky in the young sorcerer, and didn't laugh at his jokes as much as they used to. It didn't bother the younger prince at first, but as time progress, Loki was noticed less and less overall. He stopped playing his tricks for a long while, which Thor could have sworn crushed the younger man. The look of disappointment in life slowly ebbed its way into a permanent look on Loki's face. Thor hated that look. It wasn't his Loki. It wasn't the Loki he'd grown up with. It was a shell of a man he once knew. And try as he might, Thor's attempts to impress his brother went unnoticed by the target audience, but got plenty of applause from Odin, Frigga, and the rest of Asgard. Thor accepted their happy applause, and overtime, forgot that Loki wasn't impressed. His unintentional display of perfect Asgardian traits left Loki in his dark hovel as maiden's swooned at Thor's feet.

Time lead the thunderer away from his prize, and unexpected call to action had brought him back. Not that Thor could complain. Now Loki wouldn't be able to brush him off with a 'don't you have somewhere else to be?' or an 'I'm reading, Thor. Go play with your hammer'. Thor hated that Loki saw him as an untrained gorilla, and he knew it. Even when he was drunk and came to visit Loki in his chambers at night, no amount of alcohol would erase those cold, heartless words from Thor's ears. But that didn't stop Thor from still trying to build a better relationship with his brother.

He rose to the morning light, muscles cracking and stretching under his skin. He grabbed his pants and threw them on, giving the tie a quick pull. His shirt came next, and then his cape. He left his armor sitting where it should be, since it wasn't needed today.

A fluttering of footsteps and fabric came from outside of his door, disappearing before Thor could even make it there to see who was moving so quickly at this hour of the day.

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><p>Sweat dripped from Loki's brow as he used his magic to unlock the library door. He was always allowed in here, since it was his home, but precautionary measure were always a good idea. People seemed to love to snoop around in his areas and steal his notes at the Hall of Magic, so it was a safer plan to keep his more sensitive work locked up in the royal library.<p>

He ushered his tired and sweat covered body into the high walls, adorned with heavy books and shelves. At least here, he could relax until his mentor came in. No one else would even dare venture into-

"Loki?"

…Damn…

Of all the people he didn't want to see at this moment, Thor had to be looking for him! Uggg, that lummox. Couldn't he just go stuff his face like he always did first thing in the morning?

"Loki, are you in there?" Thor's low ox bellow came from outside the door. Even when he was trying to be quiet, the man had a loud voice. Loki sighed roughly, trying to calm himself enough to let Thor know he was fine. It would be a lie, but a necessary one.

"I'm here, Thor…" Loki hushed out, trying to keep his distraught throat from betraying his state. The last thing he needed was that overly muscled buffoon coming in here and touching him. Loki was certain he'd lose it and throw his imbecilic brother to the floor for a session of rutting like wild animals. Oh, the shame. He would be banished from Asgard if that happened. He could practically hear Odin's booming voice casting him out of Asgard and back to the hands of the Jotens.

"Loki, I'm coming in." Thor's voice came through the door. Loki's heart jumped into his throat in fear.

"No! I… I mean… please Thor. No. I'm not hungry right now. I have… I'm not… not feeling well." Loki shoved out of his mouth, his tongue dry enough to cause his words to die on his lips. He could feel Thor's bright aura that constantly burned around the man like a flame, die quickly on his words. Loki could have sworn he felt a twinge of shame when Thor's hand left the door, as if he'd just kicked a loyal puppy for getting in the way. Loki hadn't thought himself compassionate towards his overly muscled brother in years. So why did the rejection of Loki not wanting to be around him at breakfast seemed to hurt so much?

"I'll… I'll be back later to check on you then."Thor voice faded from the door, ushered away by tromphing footsteps. Loki breathed a reluctant and disappointed sigh of relief. He hated to send the oaf away, but it was for the best. He hoped Thor wouldn't be too cross with him later.

Minutes went by before his mentor's steps came into earshot. Loki gladly threw the doors open and practically dragged the haggard man into the library.

"Lo-Loki? What's the meaning of this? Where are your manners?" His mentor growled. Loki sighed and let out a pained whimper.

"Please. It's gotten worse…" Loki gasped out. It was burning again, and Loki could barely stand on his own two feet. His head spun as if he'd been caught in a strong current after being thrown overboard. His breathing became more erratic, and his skin seeped sweat from every pore. He could feel his mentor's wise hands grasping his shoulders and lifting him from his new position on the floor. When did he get on the floor?

"Loki, I know what to do now." He could hear his mentor's voice coming through the haze of dizziness and dulled senses. His chest started to tighten, as if someone had placed a serpent around his frame and allowed it to squeeze the life from him slowly. He could feel his jacket being pulled from his body and cast away, followed quickly by his shirt. He didn't stop the man, since this was one of the few people he actually trusted here. His mentor had never lead him wrong before, so there was no reason to jump at his throat now.

Steel bit his arm, and Loki let out a gasp. He could feel his mentor's hand holding him to the chair he sat in while his body flailed at the unexpected assault. Loki forced his eyelids open, not realizing when he'd shut them. He gasped for air and heard his own voice pleading for the pain to stop, to which his mentor's voice came through the dusky senses like a mist. He heard assurance and soothing words barely making solid sense, and tried to let his trusted friend do what needed to be done. He also heard his mentor take a momentary break in his soothing to call for two guards. Loki felt more hands on him, holding him to the chair even tighter.

Thor's voice was in the room.

Why was it in the room?

He told him to stay out.

It wasn't… wasn't safe to be in this room.

He heard rough echos of scorn coming from Thor's voice, and reassuring vibrations coming from his mentor's.

"Thor…" Loki heard his own voice betray him. He could hear garbled arguments again, and eventually they passed. Loki himself was fading in and out, barely able to keep his mind in the conversation.

He felt the sting of a blade again, tracing through his skin. He could feel another spell carving through the rune, making his mind solid again. His senses came back slowly.

First his sense of touch- with the blade's point bring him back faster than he'd expected. He hit the wall of sensation at a ridiculous pace, slamming his mind into his body. The hands on him were tighter than he'd expected.

His hearing returned next- with his ears ringing to the sound of screaming. At first he thought by the volume it was Thor. It took him a moment to realize that it was his own voice screaming. He forced his dry mouth to close, nearly swallowing his tongue as he did so. Thor's sweet voice came through to his ears, gentle cooing in an attempt to get Loki to stay still for only a few more moments.

When his eyesight returned, a blonde mass of ruffled hair was the first thing to greet his tired eyes. The ritual was over, and a difficult sideways glance at his arm noted that his mentor had to carve a reverse of the rune over the former annoyance. Loki couldn't even muster up the energy to push himself out of the way when the stinging sensation of purified alcohol came to his arm. In the back of his mind, it registered as a precautionary measure to infection, but it still hurt enough to gain a small whimper out of the younger prince.

"Loki…" The baritone voice came to his ears. He felt Thor grab him from the chair as gently as a concerned brother would, easing the mischief maker onto his lap as a heavy cloth came around Loki's shoulders.

"Thor…" Loki weakly whispered. A heavy hand petted his hair, raveling through it as if it was silk.

"My prince." Loki's mentor said to Thor. "Perhaps it would be best to take Loki back to his room. And, perhaps a bath before a long rest?"

Thor gathered his brother up, cradling him in his arms as he lifted the shivering form of the God of Lies to his chest. He gave his thanks to his brother's mentor, and quietly (well, as quietly as a grazing rhinoceros) took his leave.

Thankfully, Thor managed to reach his brother's room without too much trouble. He only saw a maid and two guards while swaddling the trembling magic user in his cape. He had to admit, this must have looked awkward. His brother hadn't stopped trembling since they left the library. Thor could feel the sweat starting to seep through the bright red cape. He gently laid his little brother on the grand, emerald clothed bed he'd become accustomed to seeing each time he wandered in this small room.

He made sure Loki wasn't going anywhere before padding his way into the wash room to run a bath. Loki always enjoyed his privacy, and refused to use the communal baths (claiming at one point that it was disgusting to wash in the same filthy waters as all the other Asgardians). Thor was shocked to say the least when he came into his little brother's room one day to find this new addition to the architecture. Loki had managed to create an entire room using only his magic. When the younger thunderer went to tattle on his brother, his mother threw him a curve ball. She congratulated Loki on his use of magic, and then bragged to his father about it. Odin only gave a gruff huff of indifference to the report on his youngest son's magical abilities.

The water poured from the spout with a small turn, and the steam from the warm liquid quickly pooled in front of Thor's face. He waited a few minutes, adjusting the temperature as needed until he thought it wouldn't burn or freeze his brother on contact. When the bath was drawn, he walked back into the bedroom to find Loki had managed to slip himself from Thor's cape and was panting like a tired dog with what little strength he had left.

Thor carefully raised his brother from the bed, treating him as if he were made of the softest crystal ever known. He carried Loki into the bathroom, disrobed him of his pants and boots, and slowly placed the younger man into the bath. He heard a tiny moan of discomfort as the water touched Loki's skin, but that was amounted to unexpected fluid touching his already hypersensitive skin.

"Loki." Thor spoke gently, trying to get his brother's attention without hurting his eardrums. Those beautiful green eyes glanced his way, casting a look of miserable exhaustion towards the thunderer. Thor could only offer a gentle smile back to the younger man as he removed his own shirt and tossed it out the open door of the bathing room. He reached in and lifted a handful of water from the tub to pour over Loki's head. The sheen of sweat was unbecoming on his beloved brother. After three more handfuls of warm water and a good wash with soap, Thor had managed to get Loki's pale complexion to appear more fleshy and less haggard.

Thor took a momentary exit from the Trickster to look around his room for bandages. Loki had to keep some around here. Far too often, physical combat practice left the mischief maker battered, bleeding and bruised. And far more often, Loki would never seek medical attention from the healers for his wounds. However, he always appeared the next day, tattered and clumsily bandaged, with a fire burning in his eyes. Thor had to admire that determination.

He found the white wrappings and healing salves in a drawer under Loki's spare cloaks. He gathered the supplies and went back to his brother, who thankfully hadn't drowned in the time allotted. Thor took the still bleeding arm in his hand and turned it gently to see the full extent of the injury. He grabbed a nearby clean cloth and dipped it into the water, washing the wound carefully. Loki hadn't even opened his eyes since Thor came back into the room, which concerned him greatly. Only the tiny, nearly silent breathing of the Trickster kept Thor's worries at bay. The thunderer carefully wrapped the arm after applying a layer of salve.

Thor reached down to pull the plug in the bath, letting the red tinged water flood down the drain. He reached for the large, fluffy towels Loki kept in his bath, pulling one particularly green towel from its resting place. He wrapped it around Loki's shoulders as he lifted the weakened and sore God of Lies from the tub and carried him back to the bedroom.

The emerald bed was softer than Thor expected as he laid the shivering form of Loki in his familiar sheets. He removed the now water heavy towel from the younger prince's body, trying his best not to stare at the thin figure that lay helpless beneath him. A toss of the towel and a shedding of his own pants and boots before pulling the covers from beneath the Trickster let Thor ready himself for a quiet rest with his brother. He locked the door before he settled between the sheets, pulling Loki into his chest while pulling the heavy covers and few furs over them. Loki rarely ever kept furs on his bed. He didn't like the idea of keeping something so fluffy near his face at night, and didn't enjoy killing beasts for their pelts. If he managed to fell a beast out of need, he would use every part of it, including the pelt.

Thor listened to his brother's breathing even out into steady, rhythmic breaths before allowing his battle worn hands to run through the ebony locks. The feel of the Trickster's body against his seemed to ease his restless mind.

Sleep soon took Thor. He never released his hold on Loki the entire morning.

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><p>If you see any mistakes, I would greatly appreciate a note on them, even if it's a PM. I'm human after all. I make mistakes.<p>

Review please? It would be greatly appreciated… just no troll) s. Or meanies… although constructive crit is welcomed as long as it's relatively polite.

Might be a few days/weeks before the next update. Finals are coming soon and our schedules aren't as set as I thought (and I have a friggin' final on my damn birthday….


	11. Was it something I said?

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NOTICE: This will be my last update until after my exams are all done. Ok? Ok. Sorry but studies come first.

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Edit: Some sad news here. As I was editing this chapter, my 17 year 1 month old dog passed away after a major stroke at 4:30 in the morning. It was…difficult to deal with. On top of that, exams start next week and I've been on autopilot mode since his passing Monday, April 16th. So if there are issues with this chapter, just send me a note about it. I'm not really in the mood to reread stuff at the moment, but I needed something stimulating to do other than schoolwork.

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><p>Loki awoke to the sound of heavy snoring in his ear.<p>

With what little strength his body would force forward, he pried open his exhausted eyelids to greet the messy haired, drooling form of Thor. The larger man was currently flung across Loki's bed like a freshly cleaned fur, left leg hanging off the bed as the man snored away. Loki had to let a small laugh out at the sight. He might not have been able to move his muscles well, but he could still enjoy a good laugh at a drooling, possibly drunk Thor. Loki used to love it when Thor would rant drunkenly after a feast. It let the Trickster see the uncouth side of his brother that Odin never wanted the Asgardians to see. It was embarrassing to know that someone who could joke about how many women he bedded each night was in line for the crown of Asgard.

It wasn't that Loki doubted his brother's ability to rule (ok, he did… but his love for Thor would never lead him to hurt the buffoon. Even if he was a total nimrod.), but he did fear that Thor would start a war without even trying to when he was wasted.

Thor shifted in his slumber, wrenching a hidden arm wrapped around Loki's mostly numb and tender body just enough to pull Loki towards him even more. Feeling smothered, Loki wrestled against the oaf. He shifted and fought with the small movements his injured arm and body would allow, only gaining no purchase on getting further away from the thunderer.

"Thor…" Loki growled, trying to wake the prince as his voice scratched against the sandpaper vocal cords. Thor just let out another loud snore, rumbling the smaller prince's chest with vibrations usually reserved for a bear's roar or an oncoming thunder storm.

"THO-" Loki's voice cut off as he tried to shout. Even without finishing the name, the act caught his brother's attention. Thor's brilliant blue eyes sprung open, practically shining an ethereal glow around the artificially darkened room. The drapes Loki used so often to block out his light experiments from Asgard's prying eyes were pulled taught before the windows, and the heavy wooden door that gave him so much privacy in the past was locked with the thick steel lock he installed himself.

"Oh- um… Loki… Loki, how- how are you feeling?" Thor stuttered out, making his tongue retract into his dry cavern, catching on his teeth on the way in. He unwrapped his arm from Loki's torso, trying to pull it in away from his little brother before anything got too awkward.

"Moron…" Loki whispered, mocking Thor a little as he tried to roll over and away from the elder prince.

"Loki… how's the arm?" Thor asked, trying to get the trickster to respond somehow. Loki had been through a lot in the last day. He had to feel something.

"It… It's fine, Thor." Loki replied, not trying to hide the insecurity in his voice. It was pathetic enough that he'd been forced to rely on someone else to help him get rid of the stupid rune, but now he was being treated like a rare glass doll by one of the biggest buffoons in Asgard. And, if memory served him any worth, he'd cried when his mentor had to carve the reverse of the rune into his arm. The humiliation would never leave him…

"Loki, please, you must be hungry. You haven't eaten since noon yesterday." Thor spoke as he reached towards the curled up form of Loki, who was trying to hide away in his emerald covers. The trickster pulled away from the thunderer, trying his best to hide away from the world under his covers while greeting the high relief carvings of his stained oak bed rails. When they were younger, Thor had tried to teach Loki how to carve wood. After hours and hours of sitting around with Thor witling the wood down to slivers and splinters, Loki left his brother to find a book on how to carve wood. He managed to get the basics of it down quickly enough, and later on carve an entire bed out of boredom when the palace library was closed after a fire. Thor had long since given up on the art, but Loki found himself enjoying it as a peaceful, partially mindless act. He didn't have to think when he carved, painted, or forged something. It's not that he disliked thinking, but it was a nice change of things when he didn't feel the need to constantly prove himself to Odin. Thor was upset when he saw what Loki had done, and didn't speak to the younger man for a week afterwards.

"Will it make you go back to whatever you were doing?" Loki grumbled. Thor gave a small smile, but didn't let the minor insult affect him.

"If you eat something, then yes. I'll leave you alone for the remainder of the day." Thor offered. Loki shifted underneath the covers, trying to adjust his arm so it wouldn't be under his body.

"Fine…" Loki sighed. Thor smirked and shoved himself off the bed. He redressed quickly, trying his best to make sure Loki had a full view of what he was doing. The trickster never liked it when he couldn't see what people were doing in his room.

Thor disappeared out the door in a flash of black, red, blue and gold. Loki was just glad to be rid of everyone for a moment. Thor's presence was always like dealing with an elephant in the room. His boisterous speech and his constant positive energy was enough to suffocate Loki at times. As if it wasn't bad enough that Loki would always have to live in Thor shadow (unless he caused mischief and got a tiny shred of anyone's attention for more than a minute), now his only claim to fame in Asgard would be the blue freak who ended up under a frost giant with his powers stolen from him by a damnable fucking rune. No one would want to be associated with a weakling like that…. Not that they had ever shown him much sympathy before his capture.

He was Loki. The Trickster. The one who was said to murder a man called Balder (1) and begin thee Ragnarok cycle. He knew the legends well. Given, a good half of them weren't true, but they were out there. Lies and deceit infecting the people's minds like a rabid disease. Stories of him laying with a stallion and produce Odin's mount- Sleipner. Tales of him bedding monsters and creating more monsters.

All lies.

Lies at his expense.

Lies that hurt and tore at him, making him seek shelter in his own studies- as far away from the whispers and falsities that plagued him. The jokes made at him, hot and burning in the back of his mind. No one cared if the second prince of Asgard was hurt. He was not Thor. Thor was everything to Asgard. Loki was… well, Loki. Loki wasn't Thor, and was a liar, cheat, thrall and plaything. Loki wasn't a prince or a king. Nor would he ever be. He had to make peace with that.

Loki pulled the covers off of his overheating body. He was sweating. He never sweat unless he was in the training arena.

He was too hot.

Something was wrong.

He wasn't right.

His body was burning. But it wasn't the same as before. It was denser, slower and coming in gentle, wonderful waves of pleasure. He could tell that it would get progressively worse over the next few hours. Unless…

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><p>Thor returned to the Trickster's room with two huge plate of food and a casket of mead tied by a rope over his shoulder. A glance to Loki's side of the bed showed the still nude trickster sprawled out, a very happy and sated look on his face. Thor smirked at the appearance of his brother, unsure of how to approach the situation. He looked so peaceful, Thor didn't want to interrupt his daydreaming, since it appeared to be a good daydream.<p>

"Brother." Thor spoke, giving a slight sing song tone to his voice as he approached the bed. He set the plates down on the bed and removed the casket of mead from his shoulder. Loki's shocking green eyes opened languidly, making him resemble a lounging cat whose sunbathing was interrupted by the sound of a returning market trip. Thor loved that look. It was the Loki he remembered. The same Loki he'd known long before any of this mess started. The Loki that loved to sleep in on weekend mornings, laughed at his corny jokes, and paid attention to him. This was the Loki he loved to see. This was the Loki he wanted to wake up next to every morning, simply because the look of happiness on Loki's face was more than enough to make Thor's entire day better.

"Humm… what did you get?" A dazed and apparently drunk Loki murmured through a smile. Thor wasn't expecting his small trip to make Loki this happy. Maybe a little alone time was all the adorable Trickster needed. Then again, he had practically been haunted by Thor for the past three days. And when he wasn't around Thor, he was surrounded by his mentor, guards, their parents and medics. It must have been very invasive.

Thor climbed onto the overly plush bed and wrapped an arm around Loki's torso, pulling him closer to the thunder god. Loki pressed the side of his face into Thor's chest, acting like a cat in need of attention. Thor brushed it off as a temporary lapse of Loki messing with him. After all, Loki didn't do that… right?

"I got everything I could carry. Mother and father would like to see you later. They seem to miss you. And your teacher asked how you were." Thor told him. Perhaps that wasn't the whole story, but he preferred to leave out the part where every guard, maid, and his friends asked if Loki was awake. Loki probably wouldn't have liked the attention. He never seemed to enjoy when everyone paid attention to him. Or at least when Thor was around. He had to admit, he'd never seen Loki happy when he was around the Trickster in the past few years.

Loki gently took one of the matching plates of food and started to eat. Thor chose not to notice that every piece of fruit Loki grabbed was sucked and licked thoroughly before the mischief maker consumed it. Loki was such a tease sometimes.

When it came to the meat, Loki glanced his bright green orbs towards Thor. Thor could have sworn the Trickster was royally messing with his head when the brat picked up a piece of stewed beef and sucked it between his lips slowly, as if the juice was a rare nectar extracted from the finest flower ever found.

Thor didn't want to excuse himself when his pants became tighter. He didn't want Loki to think he'd won this little tease. He didn't… didn't…

Thor was out the door in a moment, shutting the door behind him with an abrupt slam.

Loki was left alone, the beef still hanging between his lips and a confused look adorning his face.

Was it something he said?

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><p>Um…review please? Gonna… gonna do stuff.<p>

1- I'm working with half Tales of Asgard half Movie-verse on this. Balder wasn't really mentioned in either one of them, so I'm not going to force an extra piece in if it wasn't there already. Thanks hakku23.


	12. Garden Lunch

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I don't own Marvel or Thor.

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><p>Loki would never admit it, but he hated to wake up alone. His bed was so soft and comfortable, enough to keep him toasty on the coldest of nights, but didn't make up for the absence of a gentle caress or a loving kiss at first light.<p>

But it wasn't just the feeling he was missing. If it was the feeling, anyone would suffice. He could command one of the servants to lay with him and remain silent about it. He could seduce one of Odin's many guards to fill his bed, with their bulging muscles and heavy bodies gladly ravaging him as they wished, and kindly remind himself that no one would peep a word about it. Or tempt a fair maiden from the Asgard populous to have as many times as he wished- not love, but he was Loki. No woman would or could slake this kind of lust.

No… none of these would do. None of those options ever eased his growing fire within the least. And it was maddening trying to pretend that he didn't feel anything around others. In his own mind, he could do what he pleased. But in the open of Asgard, Loki the Trickster had to be vigilant of how others saw him. He couldn't risk allowing others a chance to take advantage of him. Anyone would gladly exact their revenge on Loki for his antics. Chances were they would never let him live down the humiliation of wanting his brother of all people- even though he knew Thor wasn't really his blood brother. But the populous would gladly tear the royal family apart if they thought the future king and the second prince were in an illicit affair. They always enjoyed stupid gossip, even when it had no real traction behind it. Vultures.

Loki rolled himself out of bed, carefully avoiding the nicely clotted carved rune that adorned his skin. He ran a gentle finger over the browning and slightly inflamed mass, brushing off the remnants of the used scab tissue that fell off. He hated that this one rune, this tiny symbol, had caused so much trouble. He still didn't have much magic since the event. He had managed to conjure a tiny flame to his fingertips before it blipped out, giving both a sense of accomplishment and disappointment to the young sorcerer. Usually, even if his magic had been dampened by some outside force, Loki should have been able to complete an entire copy of himself.

Loki gave his body a moment to allow the air to glaze his skin, cooling the bed warmed flesh with the typical autumn air that constantly enveloped Asgard in a misty, cool breeze. Loki had to appreciate it. The last time they'd visited Midgard, the temperatures had been so boiling hot that Loki's perfectly flawless, porcelain skin had been burned by the sun. Given, the experience was worth it after seeing the grand pyramids that the men of Midgard's Kingdom of Egypt (1) had spent nearly a century constructing. Anyone who saw such an architectural feat completed by a race who had no magic had to be impressed.

Loki shoved himself towards the bathing room, intent of washing the sweat filled evening off his flesh. He'd been having terrible nighttime sweating fits since he returned, and thankfully they'd eased off to a certain extent. His sheets were no longer dripping when he awoke, and didn't need to be changed every morning. He still wanted to get the salty residue of dried sweat off his skin. It was beginning to itch, and Loki hated feeling gross in the mornings.

Loki turned on the hot water, letting the steam fill the bathing room slowly, warming the air as Loki slid into the fluid. He felt the grainy, mucky feeling slip off his skin as the water pushed off the salt. The water felt good to just sit in for a few blissfully quiet, easy minutes.

After his bath, Loki dressed in a loose robe and sat back on his comfortable reading chair, which was basically a corner that he'd place a large padded stool in and then covered with layer atop layer of pillows until he couldn't see the floor or the rest of the room if he squirmed into place. Since his little unexpected 'vacation' had taken so much time away from his studies, he had a bit to catch up. Well, get ahead in Loki's case.

Hours passed before a knock at his door caused Loki to raise his head from his book. Thor, the loveable oaf, came through the door without even asking if Loki was in his room. The blonde hammer wielder strolled into the quiet room, closing the door behind him with a subtle click. He smirked as he made his way towards Loki's spot.

"Morning, Loki." Thor said as he plopped himself down on the Trickster's bed. Loki had to appreciate the buffoon's attempts to break into Loki's shell. It wasn't that Loki hated the man, but he didn't like anyone prying into his life. Thor was the closest person that Loki had ever allowed into his life, and even the Thunderer wasn't allowed that close to the younger prince. Loki was just a man who enjoyed his privacy. A LOT of privacy.

"Good morning, Thor. What brings you to my room today." Loki said nonchalantly, unknowingly letting his robe slip off his chest just enough for Thor to see the pale flesh that gave Loki's his perfect appearance. Thor envied that about the younger prince. He was so flawless, so perfectly porcelain- not like Thor's war toughened flesh, rough and hardened. Loki was soft and supple, absolutely wonderful for ravaging.

"Well, it is nearing midday. I was wondering if you'd like to join me for a private lunch in mother's gardens? I have already asked the guards to monitor us." Thor asked, trying not to sound too pushy with Loki. Loki never did enjoy being told where he should be or what he should do. Fastest way to get on Loki's bad side: order him around.

"Hmm… well, this room is rather boring after a few hours. I'll join you." Loki said as he closed his book and pushed himself off the chair. Thor hadn't even stood up before Loki started to shed his robe, leaving a rather stunned and subtly growing Thor to stare at the perfect backside of his current target of affection. Loki moved just enough as he dressed, giving Thor a little shake as he threw on his loose clothing. Loki was tender with his bandaged arm, making sure not to jostle it too much. It still hurt badly, and even after hours of sitting still, it sprung back burning like it had been speared with a white hot poker. Loki had to take a quick moment to press hard on the wound, trying to control the pain as best he could without magic.

"Loki?" Thor asked, concern dripping off his worried voice like water from a fountain. Loki turned to him, a small, shielding smile attempting to hide his pain while his hand stayed put. Thor got off the bed and gently took Loki's arm in his larger hand, the size alone eclipsing the smaller man's arm. Thor could have sworn he felt Loki twitch underneath his fingertips as he examined the firmly wrapped bandage. Blood spots picked their way through the white cloth, staining it bright red as it crept to the surface.

"I… I tried to wrap it myself…" Loki whispered out, trying to keep his voice as quiet as possible. Thor barely caught what the Trickster had said, but took the close moment to wrap a thick arm around Loki's waist and bring him close. They embraced, stomachs touching, as Loki gave a small yelp of surprise. He wasn't used to touch, and didn't enjoy it when it was given. His pale flesh had become sensitive to the warm bodies of Asgardians, and Thor was the only exception to the 'no touchy' rule. Loki could 'tolerate' Thor's touch for so long.

"You did a very good job on your own. But please, let me help you wrap it again. It looks painful, and I know doing this one handed is very difficult." Thor said as he gently pulled Loki over to the bed. He maneuvered Loki to sit down as he gathered fresh bandages and a warm cloth to wipe away any remnants from the previous bandage.

"You don't have to do this, you know…" Loki mumbled as Thor stripped the bloodied patches from Loki's arm. He wiped the bruised and discolored flesh with the cloth, noting the coloration appeared darker and patchy in some places. He would remind himself to ask the healers about it later, since Loki wouldn't do it out of personal embarrassment. Thor knew Loki wouldn't want anyone to see a single flaw in him, mostly because he saw so many things wrong with his very existence. Thor never knew what went so wrong with Loki's sense of self worth, but he aimed to find out one day. It wasn't an easy topic, and Loki was a very difficult safe to crack. So he had to use tact when prying information from his little brother… and Thor was about as tactful as a stumbling moose.

"It's not a duty, Loki. I want to help you. Besides, how many of my injuries have you bandaged in the past?" Thor said as he gently began to rewrap the injuries. Loki winced when the fabric touched his wounds, which were still tender but not bleeding.

"Why do you do that?" Loki asked, shying away from the Thunderer. Thor looked at Loki, a somber flash in his eyes. He lowered his head before he began to speak.

"I… have my reasons." Thor replied quietly. Loki stared in confusion at the older man, who tied a small knot in the last binding strip and stood from his position on the bed. Loki quickly followed as Thor motioned for him to follow the crown prince out the door. Loki stayed close to Thor as they silently walked down to the gardens, where Thor had apparently spent his morning setting up a small lunch for them at the iron table the queen had received from Odin on her naming day (2) a few years back. He had managed to remember Loki's favorite foods at midday. Vegetables, fruits, sweet bread, cheese, and the finest wine from the Alfheim wineries covered the table on a white tablecloth that mother had favored over the years. It had been used often and well, showing stains of wine, milk, and occasionally a chemical Loki had managed to spill on the fabric. Ah, the memories were good in this cloth.

"Thor… you didn't have to go through so much trouble for me." Loki said as he rested a kind hand on Thor's shoulder, noting that he would make sure that Thor wouldn't have to go through so much trouble for him again.

But… why did he care if the moron wasted his time setting a table?

"Yes, I did. I want to make sure you feel at home here. Please Loki…" Thor said as he raised a hand to the trickster's face, rubbing his cheek gently while a loving glance took the younger man's beauty in.

"Thor… why?" Loki muttered as he carefully pushed Thor's hand from his face. Thor looked sadly at Loki, then made his way to the table with a follow motion. Loki took his seat and watched Thor closely. Thor took his food quietly and stared at the table cloth for only a moment while Loki gathered his own plate. He waited until the Trickster started to eat before speaking.

"Loki… in… In Jotenheim. They didn't… didn't hurt you, did they?" Thor forced his mouth to say, tripping over the words and having to try again. Loki looked at the elder prince, a grape partially sticking out of his mouth. He took a moment to swallow, the grape disappearing as quickly as it had met his tongue.

"Well, aside from the obvious" Loki started, lifting his sore and inflamed wrist above the table "They didn't manage to make it any further than you saw. Why do you ask, dear brother?" Loki inquired. Thor glanced down at the table for a moment, trying to assimilate words that would please his beloved without making him sound foolish or too self consumed in his own desires. Loki wouldn't tolerate that.

"I- I was worried. And…And I want- I want to… I was hoping we could-" Thor was cut off by Loki's finger on his lips, ceasing the fumbling speech. It was humorous to watch Thor botch his words, but this was clearly upsetting the man. Whatever he had to say must have seemed like a matter of life and death to the elder Odinson.

"Take a moment, please. I'm in no rush if you aren't." Loki replied, easing himself back into the chair he was seated in. Thor blankly at the wiser prince, large blue eyes giving a sense of relief as his shoulders slumped back to their normal tenseness. He took a minute to shovel in a few strawberries while he thought about his words. Loki watched his brother eat, trying his best not to laugh at the confused and oddly scrunched look Thor had mangled his face into. Thinking wasn't Thor's strong suit.

"Loki. After the events of Jotenheim, I was wondering if we could spend more time together." Thor finally asked. Loki was a little taken off guard. Thor had never been so polite in asking for Loki's time. He usually just came up and grabbed the younger man, threw him on the saddle of his waiting mount and took off with basic supplies and took off without a word of asking. Loki stopped counting how many times his experiments with new potions had been ruined by this kinda of spontaneous acts.

"Thor, why are you asking?" Loki inquired, trying to make some sense of his brother's actions. Thor looked straight at Loki's brilliant green eyes and sighed. Loki picked up his glass of wine and started to take a long sip.

"I… wish to court you." Thor said. Loki choked on his wine, bring his lips away from the glass and coughing in an attempt to regain control of his airway. He managed to get the wine glass back on the table before glancing at Thor. The older brother looked like a kicked puppy, a look that rarely had Loki off guard.

"Thor… is this some kind of joke?" Loki calmly barked, the ice in his voice practically freezing Thor in his seat. The thunderer found himself looking at his feet all of a sudden, too afraid of the glare Loki was surely giving him.

"No joke. I had to plead with father to be the first to ask to court you." Thor replied. Loki sat there, mouth gaping like a fish on show in a fishmonger's stand.

"Wh-Why do I have to be courted?" Loki growled, turning his whole body to the thunderer. Thor could feel this situation going downhill quickly, but if nothing else, he could at least honor Loki's questions. Even if the man never spoke to him again.

"You know of the heat right?"Thor asked, trying to make sure he was on the same ground as Loki. Loki nodded in response. Thor let loose a heavy sigh that had invaded his chest.

"Loki, father told me that you would have to be courted and wed before anyone could take you. It's only right for the royals to lose their virginity on their wedding nights…" Thor trailed off, unsure of how to make this easy for Loki. Hel, the topic itself was difficult for Thor to comprehend. Loki shouldn't have been _required_ to marry anyone if he wasn't ready.

"And… you thought that you would monopolize the opportunity to keep the unwanted Frost Giant foundling under your boot." Loki growled out. Thor shot out of his chair, knocking it over in the quick movement.

"No! That wasn't what-" Thor was cut off.

"What? Couldn't stand the idea of a Frost Giant being allowed to choose what he wants in life?" Loki roared back. He could put up one hell of a fight when he wanted to.

"Loki! Loki stop! Please!" Thor begged as he grabbed the younger prince, holding him tightly between the thunderer's larger hands. Loki struggled, visibly enraged and trying to dislodge himself without his magic. He kicked and growled, causing the guards to prepare to handle Thor. Their orders were to protect Loki, even if that meant going through Thor.

"Hold your places men! Loki… Loki, please. Let me talk. Please." Thor calmly spoke. He didn't want to lose Loki again, but at the rate things were going downhill, he had to pull off something of a miracle to get to Loki.

"Why? Wouldn't you just prefer to fuck me like the rest, oh beloved Odinson." Loki growled out.

"No, Loki. You deserve better than that. Please, let's talk." Thor whispered into his ear.

"Release me, Thor." Loki seethed, making the very air seem frigid. Thor sighed as he let go of the bratty prince, not realizing that he'd begun to hug the trickster instead of just holding him. Loki's eyes were bright red around the edges. Thor hated upsetting his brother, but rose a gentle hand to wipe away the tears that had formed and trickled down the perfectly porcelain cheek.

"Loki… This is supposed to be your choice. I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to do. But the heat will get progressively worse by the day unless you consummate with someone." Thor spoke as he brought Loki into a hard chested hug, holding his tired head to the thunderer's broad shoulder. He could feel the silent sobs that were conquering Loki's body at the moment.

"Thor…" Loki lost his battle with self control, the tears falling quickly and rapidly onto the thunderer's armor.

"It's okay, Loki. It's ok." Thor spoke as he pressed a kiss into Loki's head.

"I… don't want this to happen this way." Loki mumbled out as his body started to betray him, falling onto Thor like a loose puppet.

"I'm sorry Loki. I'm sorry." Thor said as he pulled the younger man into his lap and eased them back into the chair. The guards had thoughtfully turned to watch the other side of the gardens or the walls overlooking the city to give the boys their privacy.

"What *** **sniffle* did father say * sniffle* about this…" Loki managed to get out. Thor smiled at the sudden drop in defenses.

"He just wants you to be happy, Loki. But he also fears that this will become too much for you to handle soon. I know you don't want to be like the Jotuns that attacked you." Thor said as he caressed the younger man's dark hair. Loki mumbled something unintelligible against Thor's shoulder before grasping the older prince's torso with all that he had.

"Loki." Thor confidently said, trying to get the trickster's attention with a firm voice.

"Mummumphmf" Loki grumbled as he gripped the older man's shoulders for support. His legs refused to get up and storm off like he wanted to. His arms wouldn't work right either, choosing not to push his tired body off Thor's and run back to the fortress.

"Loki… I asked you to take lunch with me because I wanted to ask you if it was alright for me to pursue your hand." Thor said as he rubbing circles into the sorcerer's back, trying his best to comfort the man. Loki's sobs eased off, smoothing in to smalls gasps and a few hiccups before he hauled himself off Thor's chest enough to see the other man's face at a decent distance.

"Can- * hiccup* can't you just take what you want?" Loki sobbed out.

"By all means, I could take any person in Asgard if I wanted to. But I don't want to. I want to earn the right to court you… unless… you don't want me to." Thor said as he lifted Loki's hand to his lips, pressing a small kiss onto the backside of his hand. Loki's hiccups stopped for a moment.

"But… why the Hel do you want me? I can't give you anything good, Thor." Loki said as he shifted in Thor's lap. Thor chuckled and pulled the younger man back into his chest, holding him firmly.

"I don't always like things that are good for me, Loki. Though, even despite the chaos and mischief you bring at every chance you get, you are by far the best thing that I have had in my life." Thor said as he kissed the side of Loki's head, holding it for a moment and letting Loki accustom himself to the sensation of Thor's body against his. Loki never had adjusted to sudden touches well. Thor could have sworn he thought everyone that tried to touch him was diseased or something. Well, except Thor. He never minded when Thor touched him.

"I hate this…" Loki whispered, causing Thor to kiss his head again.

"I know. But I want to help… and the idea of letting someone else take you in a moment of need is not settling with me." Thor said as he hugged Loki tighter to his body. He could feel the trickster smile.

"The realm won't like me as your consort." Loki stated, rather bluntly. Thor could sense that all the fervor and anger behind his words was sizzled out, which was good. Thor didn't like having Loki riled up against anything. He had a bad tendency to stay angry for weeks at a time.

"They will have to adjust then. I'm not backing down unless you tell me to."Thor whispered in Loki's ear, trying not to deafen the younger man with the closeness of his voice. He could feel Loki's dropped smile return with what little strength he had.

"You're crazy." The trickster said as he was lifted up from the seat by the elder brother. Thor chuckled as he carried Loki back into the palace, intent on getting the green clad man back to bed so he could rest off the headache he'd surely obtained from his outburst. Thor had always wondered why Loki's room was so dark. It made more sense when he saw how often Loki had to take a nap during the day.

"I suppose I am."

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><p>dang thing didn't take my revisions again...<p>

1- I have no idea how they would have seen Egypt from their point of view... so that's what i came up with instead.

2- From what I hear, most babies from yore didn't get a name for a few weeks after they were born because it was common for them to die of illness or weaknesses. So naming day would be translate into birthday.

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><p>Review please! It took me a while to rewrite this one… a very bad sunburn and the subsequent itch from hell wouldn't let me rest, type or do anything that had to do with movement without terrorizing my flesh. The aloe, peppermint stick, and lidocaine aren't helping unless I stop moving.<p> 


	13. Tournament

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Now, back to the story~ please note me or PM me if you see something wrong. Or say it in a review. I'm human, I make mistakes, just say it nicely. I'm fragile on critiques.

Me no own. If I owned this shit, I'd be out of college and have some super smart math dude managing it for me… and go on vacation a lot. Meh. Daydreaming while I should be studying~

Loki awoke to a headache trying to pound its way through his skull with a dwarf's pick ax.

Thor was kind enough to stay with him after his outburst, and currently occupied the area next to the trickster on his bed. Loki's eyes were still closed and his back was turned towards Thor because the thunderer had been kind enough to rub tender circles on the sorcerer's back. It comforted Loki, and managed to disarm the ticking time bomb that resided in Loki's heart. Thor could tell by the muscles clenching and unclenching that Loki was battling his inner self over their conversation from the garden. Loki was never much for words unless he was really pissed off. Even then, Loki would pull his punches so he could have some trump card later. Thor had to admire that patience in battle, something that he had never really mastered.

"Thor…" Loki murmured, voice tired and waning from the screaming fight earlier. Well, given it was a very one sided screaming fight, that was understandable.

"Yes, Loki?" Thor replied, his voice as gentle and steadfast as it had remained in the last few hours. Previous years of fighting had never proved fertile when he and Loki had fought, so gaining a bark against the sorcerer never made the situation better. But coming to Loki bearing a gift of pudding or chocolates usually calmed the growling beast that had replaced the sweet sorcerer in Loki's room.

"I… I want… a fair fight for my hand." Loki mumbled. Thor felt like he was crushed under Mjolnir's weight. Loki wanted someone other than Thor to compete for his hand? In a critical time like this? Was he not enough? Had he done something that offended the second prince?

"My- Loki. Have I done something to make myself unworthy of your hand?" Thor pleaded, trying to hide his personal disappointment behind a strong voice. Loki sprung from his position on the bed, hauling himself up on his right arm while turning to see Thor's face. The thunderer looked so pained.

"No! No… Thor, I meant that we should make it a fair fight so that anyone can 'try' to claim my hand." Loki replied. Thor still looked confused. Why would Loki want anyone else to try for his hand? Had he not wanted to be wed to a powerful Asgardian? Royalty no less? What more could he carve that Thor couldn't give him?

"Loki… please. Reconsider me. I can be a worthy husband. You don't need to waste your time with others. Have I not been good to you?" Thor whispered as he pulled Loki close to him, holding the younger prince to his broad chest. Loki sighed roughly.

"Thor… I know you can be a worthy husband. And, one day, a worthy king. But think of the people. Won't they think it's unfair for you to monopolize me? I'm saying have a tournament. Prove your strength, have some fun, and no one can question who you should marry." Loki offered back to the thunderer. Thor pulled back, still slightly confused about the whole situation. Loki smiled at him and placed a gentle kiss on the side of his cheek.

"Loki, they won't say anything against you. The people of Asgard love you. Even through the roughest moments, they loved you as much as they loved me. Besides, if you don't like something they say, we can have the guards take them out back and beat them like a dirty rug." Thor replied, a brilliant smile gracing his façade. Loki had to let a small smirk through his depressing mist.

"True." Loki replied. The trickster let the buffoon hold him for a few minutes before familiar footsteps approached his room. Odin knocked on the door before entering, knowing that his second son greatly valued his privacy and preferred a warning before anyone entered his private chambers. Thor and Loki detached the second the first knock repelled off the thick wood.

Odin entered the room, his regal presence filling the paper strewn and book piled room. His eye glanced to Thor and Loki, both sitting with blank stares on the younger brother's bed.

"I have heard that you two had a quarrel today." Odin said, a stern look falling Thor's way. The thunderer shrug.

"I lost my temper when Thor told me what needed to be done. It wasn't so much a fight as it was a minor stress on my part." Loki admitted. Odin took the information in, sighing as he looked back to Thor.

"How do you think we should improve this situation?" Odin asked the green clad sorcerer, who donned a surprised look.

"A tournament." Loki threw out. Odin was shocked at the decision. Loki hated tournaments. He never attended and more often than not even acknowledged the competitions. Was this Thor's idea? It must have been…

"Loki, did he put you up to this?" Odin asked, glaring at Thor. Thor gave an offended glance to his father, rather ruffled about being accused.

"No father…" Loki still held Odin in a father ideal. Sure, he was adopted, but Odin wouldn't have brought him to Asgard if he didn't want Loki as part of his family. It took the over thinking sorcerer to stop fretting for three days with the crown prince practically pawing at his door every hour in an attempt to bring his little Loki back.

"*sigh* Fine. A fair tournament for Loki's hand. I will make the announcement tomorrow morning." Odin announced as took his seat. Loki gave a small smile, and Thor… just looked blank. Well, how many facial expressions could you expect the boy to make in less than an hour?

"Really? You're good with this?" Thor blurted out. Odin chuckled at the thought of Thor questioning a tournament. He'd pretend like he didn't hear that for his first borns' sake. Thor the thunder god, king of the Asgardian tournaments and still undefeated after 4000 years, would not have opposed a tournament for his brother's hand.

"Of course I am. It would be a good distraction for realm in light of the recent battles." Odin said as he leaned back, making himself look like their father for the first time in years, rather than a king they had to bow to.

"And what of Jotenheim?" Thor demanded. Loki gave a concerned look to the elder god.

"We will not tell Jotenheim of the tournament. If they argue, we can always sight the attacks as reason to keep them from Loki. All considered, I take it you don't want to be offered to a Frost Giant, my son?" Odin offered to Loki. Loki nodded with a smile slinking it's way into his face.

"Then a tournament it is." Thor relented. Odin swore, there must have been spots on the stars for Thor to not want a tournament. That would take all day just to take in.

Hours later, Thor had gone to speak with his friends after Loki had kicked him out of his room. Loki had been 'Thored' out of his mind, and needed some time alone with his quiet room and his silent books. He was happily reading until an unwelcomed knock came to his door. He sighed heavily, trying not to let his exhaustion overcome his temper.

Loki hauled himself from the soft cushions to tend to the annoyance. Whoever was on the other side of that door had better have a damn good reason interrupt his reading. To his surprise, Fandral was on the other side of the door, smirking like a fool who had just hit the jackpot in a card game.

"Loki~" Fandral cooed. Loki swore he could feel the bile rising to the back of his throat. He had always hated when Fandral used that sickening cooing with the fair ladies of the court. It just felt fake and forced. Loki couldn't stand that kind of treatment. Especially now that he was probably going to be a target-

…a target for the same kinds of men.

…fuck.

"Fandral. What do I owe this visit?" Loki scrambled together. He was expecting a maid who had forgotten his laundry or a guard who insisted Odin needed to see him for a moment regarding a trick he'd placed months ago that was finally triggered. Loki had gotten used to the fact that it would take some time before his tricks got tripped. Each time he'd put one out, someone would trip it quickly, and be wary of the palace for the next few months. They would tell their friends, and no one would fall for his traps until weeks later.

"Well, Thor told us of the upcoming tournament, and I was hoping to see how you felt about it." Fandral replied, his grin growing like a hungry tiger's.

"I was the one who asked for the tournament, Fandral." Loki kindly reminded, holding his irritation back in his stomach. Even though he was tired of everyone and everything around him today, he assumed this would be a quick conversation. Then he could go back to pouring over his books.

"Well, in that case, what would you say if I competed for your hand?" Fandral dared. Loki was taken aback by the offer. Fandral wanted to fight for his hand? Against Thor? Was he insane?

"Well, I can't take sides as a royal. It would be fine with me." Loki blurted out, trying to half hide himself behind the door. He still felt vulnerable to attacks, and thankfully the guards were still there. Not that he couldn't defend himself, but Loki doubted he would hold his growing weariness back from destroying anyone who really ticked him off today. Call it irritation, but exhaustion plus access to magic powers equals destruction in Loki's case.

"Loki, my dear Loki- Please consider me as a worthy suitor." Fandral said as he took Loki's hand and kneeled at his feet. Loki felt disgusting with a man- a former friend of all things- kneeling at his feet and asking for permission to fight for his hand. Odin, this was awful. He thought that offering himself as a prize to eight of the nine realms was bad enough, but Fandral, Mr. Fucks anything with a pretty enough face, was trying to gain his blessing for the upcoming battles! Oh, he should of-

"I accept you as a suitor, Fandral." His mouth betrayed him. How dare it betray him? Not cool mouth. Not cool. But the beaming smile that cracked on Fandral's seduction look was more than enough to let Loki relax a little. The blonde man kissed his hand and quickly hugged the prince before the guards had taken enough of his behavior. They pulled him off the sorcerer and started to drag the Casanova away.

"I shall see you in the royal's box, my dear!" Loki heard the man cry after they took him to the end of the hall. He shut the door behind him, and let out a huge sigh. He couldn't help but wonder how many more would ask for his blessing… and prayed they would at least ask him outside in the public areas instead of cornering him in his own chambers.

Unfortunately, Loki's luck wasn't with him this day. When dinner rolled around, the second prince thought he'd be clear to head for the library to get some more books. He'd managed to make it through most of palace before he managed to nearly slam right into an old 'friend'.

"Loki! I'm surprised to see you here, my dear prince!" Epsilon said, holding out his hand to the prince. Loki was wary of this guard. He'd made it all the way to Captain before Odin had to scold him for trying to seduce Loki while on duty. Frigga warned him on numerous occasions to stop following Loki when he wasn't ordered to, but the man couldn't take a hint. He was deeply enthralled with Loki, and had even tried to court him before without permission of his parents. Boxes of confections and rare books given, without passing through his parent's approval, was considered cute by most of the court. Normally, this would have been seen as a childish puppy love of sorts, but that wasn't the case this time. He'd been trying too hard for years, often cornering Loki in the most remote places in the palace to save his own hide from Odin's wrath. One particular case had Loki trapped in his room while Epsilon waited for him outside his door. He was supposed to take an entourage with him to visit the light elves and strengthen relations, but Epsilon hurriedly assigned himself to the duty instead. Loki was lucky enough that Thor and his friends returned a day early from another relations trip to the dwarves (and drank them under the table). Thor insisted that he be allowed to accompany Loki to his destination, and saved his younger brother a long trip full of groping.

"Oh… Epsilon. I didn't realize you'd returned from the walls." Loki replied, trying to hide his fear of being uncomfortably cornered by this man. Epsilon took the moment to place his hands strategically flagging Loki's body, making sure that it would be difficult for Loki to run. Odin help him, if Loki didn't want to remain in his good standing with the realm, he'd deck this bastard as hard as he could. But he was a prince, and more importantly, he'd just been placed as the prize in the tournament. He couldn't risk making himself look bad and rising questions about the royal family's policy towards suitors…

"Well, when I heard that your lovely hand was the prize in the upcoming tournament, I couldn't resist coming to see you." Epsilon said as he closed the space a little more, making Loki that much more uncomfortable.

"Epsilon, I really need to get to the library." Loki stated. He wasn't enjoying this treatment, and silently prayed that Thor or Frigga would wander his way. Even Odin would be better than no one. The guards and maids wouldn't help him against the Captain of the guards.

"But my prince, won't you grant me your blessing for the upcoming tournament?" Epsilon asked as he rose Loki's hand to his lips, kissing it to Loki's silent disgust. He hated this man's presence, much less his touch.

"…Good luck to you in the tournament, Sir Epsilon…" Loki spoke, trying to keep his voice level and fair. He _had_ to give his blessing to each competitor that asked for it. It was tradition after all. And he had to keep the royal household shiny as could be in the public's eyes. Sir Epsilon must have thought too much of his blessing though, as he pulled his arms inward and captured the young prince in a hug, bringing his lips to kiss the sorcerer's. Loki felt the vomit rising in his throat, acid stinging as it met a reluctant barrier at the back of his mouth. All muscles clenched, preventing embarrassing motions as he held himself stiffly. When Epsilon released him, he quickly darted away into the stairwell. He still couldn't teleport, but his strength had returned to him enough to summon a small flame to his finger. That was a good, albeit late, start to recovery.

This was going to be a _very_ long preparations week…

Review please? It means a lot to me… and you get cybercookies!


	14. Who's entering?

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Let see if we can break more records this time! You guys amazed me last time! And tell me if I made a mistake. I'm human. I mess up. A lot!

Me no own Marvel, Thor or Asgard. Cuz if I did… it wouldn't be PG. And I'd have to meet Tom himself…. Then I'd faint. And be ashamed of what I wrote. Because… that's just how shy I am. Yup. Oh, I'm on twitter if you guys want to find me. Just… sayin… *hides - *

Also, guys, since you are reading a yaoi story, go to my deviant art page (same screenname) and check out the journal I have there. It's self explanatory, but I could really use some help supporting this petition against the NC anti-gay marriage amendment.

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><p>At this point, Loki's room seemed to be the safest place in the entire palace. The library visit had ended with Loki being accosted by various guards and young sorcerers asking for his blessing in the upcoming tournament. He honestly didn't think that many people would care about him enough to enter the tournament. He was never that popular when they were in school together, and he always felt like an outcast. Few people talked to him and even less considered him a go-to friend.<p>

The recent days had practically swamped him with requests of blessings- and he had to put on the good prince face and give each one of them a blessing for the upcoming battles. He honestly didn't even care if they all died tomorrow of the plague. Their devotion was adorable, but Loki highly doubted they wanted anything more from him than a quick lay and the honor that came with his position. He supposed that most of them hadn't heard that Thor was entering the tournament and assumed that he wouldn't be volleying for Loki's hand.

His room was thankfully quiet at this time of day. The guards were posted outside, and he could rest without anyone asking for him for a few hours at least. He'd told the guards that he didn't want to be disturbed until dinner. They usually respected his requests, unless Odin, Frigga or Thor came to his door.

Rumors were circulating that the Frost Giants were still trying to enter the competitions, citing that it was an act against the Nine realms if everyone wasn't allowed to enter an Asgardian tournament. Odin was handling it well if there were such claims, and Loki hadn't been told of them. Thor would certainly have something to say if they tried to claim the young prince's hand.

Thor had been so tolerant of overzealous suitors. Loki was getting extremely tired of having to deal with the fools. Given, royal duties were tiresome at times, he was still exhausted from his ordeal. Thankfully, his scar was fading quickly. It still left a deep impression on his forearm, and Loki's memories wouldn't give up on reminding him of how badly it hurt. He still flinched visibly when he thought of the glinting steel slicing through his arm.

Thor tried to spend as much time as he was allowed to with his brother. The guards had to be present during each minute they spent in each other's company. Under the rules of the tournament, the prize had to remain a virgin. Even though they were brothers, Thor couldn't be trusted with Loki alone. He was still classified as a suitor, and had to be fairly treated as such. Loki hated the monitoring, but was silently glad that he wasn't swarmed every moment of the day by suitors hoping to win favor by singing him ballads or reciting poetry. It was all rather boring to him when things resorted to classicism as a means of wooing. The allure factors only lasted a good five minutes before becoming corny. Most of the lines were reused and sometimes abused in hastily made songs and poems, and most of the shows of strength were quickly transformed into barbaric wrestling matches. Yesterday, someone had lost an ear at a match, and Loki was only standing a short distance away. The blood made his already tired and nauseous body dizzy enough to lose his lunch.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Enter." Loki responded to the beating of light knuckles against the heavy wood. Odin and Frigga quickly entered the room. His dear mother looked distressed, as if she was going to burst into tears at any moment. Odin held a stern and diplomatic look on his façade, which worried Loki all that much more. Odin only had such a grimace when something troubling had occurred.

"Loki, my dear son, we must speak." Odin said as he took a seat in Loki's desk chair. Frigga sat on his bed and remained disturbingly quiet for a few minutes.

"What do we need to talk about?" Loki inquired as he shut his book after folding a crease in the page. Odin sighed heavily, raising a hand to his forehead and rubbing his eyes with frustration.

"Loki… the Frost Giants have insisted that they be allowed to compete for your hand. We… We wanted to know how you felt about them entering." Odin asked, trying to keep his voice level. It was obvious that since Loki was the prize in this tournament, the decision fell to him who could enter and who couldn't. All he had to risk was his reputation in the nine realms as a selfish child if he refused someone's offer of fighting for him. It was always a heavy hearted decision: self protection or building bridges?

"Why would they even question if they were allowed to enter? After the stunt they pulled here? They stole me from my home for Vahalla sakes!" Loki seethed. Odin nodded at the outburst, not expecting his typically calm youngest son to be so venomous. The world serpent might have had less venom in its entire yearly production than Loki did at this moment.

"If you don't want them to enter, we won't let them. But they are already verbose about our treaties. They threaten war if they aren't allowed to enter." Odin added in. Loki silenced himself, but continued to make sharp and erratic movements against the air in his room. Frigga hated to see him so unhappy, but he had every right to be angry. Loki flopped back down in his little pillowed corner, knocking some books over in the process.

"I… I take it there's no right answer, is there?" Loki sighed. Odin begruddedly knodded. Loki threw his head back in irritation, rubbing his hands over his face to interrupt some of the tension that had gathered there.

"You know Thor will have something to say about this." Frigga added in.

"I suppose we have to approve." Loki relented. Odin sighed, trying to hide his personal anger with the Frost Giants in view of better overall relations. In the end, it was all business. Personal feelings had to be set aside in the interest of peace and better relations.

"Let's just let Thor handle them in the arena. He's been practically dying to break a hole through them after the initial incident." Frigga stated. Loki smirked at the idea. Thor had been restless for the past few days. He must have been edgy as could be when so many people entered the tournament, and this would only please the future king. He could finally teach the Frost Giants why they should never steal his 'toys'- as Loki jested to him in private. Thor was overly possessive of his friends and his things. He knew this would be dealt with as usual- all hammer and no negotiations.

"Let him get this edginess out. He'll be more tolerable if he's sated his lust to beat the life out of something." Loki joked, knowing that the guards wouldn't allow anyone to die in a tournament.

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><p>Dinner time came around, and Loki had to force his eyes away from the pages of his trusted magic book to attend to the feast. His presence would be sorely missed from the leering eyes and proclamations of every suitor in the damnable hall. He wasn't thrilled about the situation. He loved to take at least one meal away from the world each day. Not to say he hated the noise… but he hated the constant drunken ramblings and the roar of the hall usually made him dizzy with interference. He couldn't hear his own thoughts in his head amongst the noise the echoed through the hall.<p>

Unfortunately, Loki couldn't help but notice that three familiar, large blue forms stood at the back of the hall. He did his best to act his part: regal, formal, and a perfect example of Asgardian heritage. He could have sworn he felt the sweat rising on his skin as his throat dried and his head ached.

He took his seat beside Frigga and Odin, noting that Thor was allowed to sit with his friends. He must have been forced to by the tournament regulations. Not that Thor minded. He liked his friends, and all save Sif had entered. Hogun most likely did it when the chance of winning a tournament came up. He never had much concern for Loki aside from his friend's brother. Then again, the man was hard to read. He could have had ulterior motives and Loki wouldn't have been able to pry it out of him.

The feast went well, aside from a fight or two. But that was considered a calm feast at a tournament gathering. When day slipped to night, Loki excused himself from his suitors calls to get some fresh air on the balcony. The day had turned to the magnificent twilight that bathed the sky in the brilliant colors of dusk. The blues and purples that painted the sky made Loki's shoulders give up their Atlas hold on his back. He felt like he could breathe for the first time in an hour. It was quiet on the balcony, despite the fact that only a velvet drape blocked the party inside from his silenced space.

Loki pretended he didn't notice Thor slip out from behind the closed curtain. The birds that flew overhead acted as a better distraction than staring at the ground. He let Thor's presence, which seemed to radiate the most wonderful heat just by standing there, take its rightful place beside him. Thor knew better than to disturb Loki when he was enjoying his sunset. He had grown accustomed to the way Loki enjoyed the world, and knew better than to distract him from such a sight with the interruption of talk. They stood there for a few minutes, quietly enjoying the lights until the twilight faded into an early night. Loki finally lowered his gaze to regain his eyesight, and turned to Thor.

"So, I take it you heard?" Loki began. Thor nodded.

"They won't win. I'm surprised they even showed up." Thor replied, frustration creeping into his stance.

"You'll beat them. You always do. Are you concerned they will try something before the tournament?" Loki asked, gently placing a hand over Thor's. They were positioned so that anyone coming out would only see the two brothers talking.

"Can you answer a question for me?" Thor asked, his resolve tiring as Loki smiled at him.

"You know I can." Loki joked back.

"How did they even find out? We weren't suppose to send word to Jotenheim about the tournament… at least, that's what father said a few days ago." Thor sighed.

"They must have heard from another realm. They have other delegates, and most likely one of them heard from the courts of the other seven realms. It doesn't matter, they are here now. And you can exact a bit of revenge on them for what they did to me…" Loki said as he glance backwards before placing a kiss on Thor's cheek. Thor smiled and blushed, knowing that if Loki was caught showing favoritism, he'd be punished. Thor would most likely be thrown out of the tournament for 'corruption' or whatever the other competitors could think up to make a bad situation for Thor. He was a clear threat to them, and getting him barred for any reason would give them a decent chance at winning.

"Will you be cheering for me?" Thor smirked to Loki, keeping his words quiet as he could.

"As much as I can…" Loki said as Thor lifted the trickster's hand and kissed it gently. He knew that wouldn't be against the rules.

Odin's final announcement of good fortune in the first round tomorrow boomed out into the hall, interrupting the happy couple's time together. They quickly slipped back into the room, with many eyes following them. Kind glances chased Loki, and crude glares bit at Thor's back as he took his seat again. As Odin's speech drew to an end, the warriors dispersed and Loki scurried back to his room again. He needed the early rest, because tomorrow would be a hellish day.

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><p>Thanks for reading! Please review! I want to break my review record again!<p> 


	15. Loud Noises give me Headaches

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Ok, with 59 messages on DA alone, this has been my biggest haul yet! Thank you guys so much! You have made my hand lose what little fat it had by typing all of these! I'm so happy!

Me no own marvel or its characters! And since I'm not making any money off this, it's totally legal to write in this playground we call fanfiction! And tell me if I botched something. I'm human. I make mistakes!

Side note- Sorry I've been gone for this long. Sculpture ate up a lot of extra time, and then finals swallowed me up.

Please read and review! I love my reviewers!

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><p>It didn't take much for Loki to recall exactly why he hated tournaments.<p>

Between the loud music blasting his ears out, the competitors displaying their strength to show off, and the fans acting like rabid Bilgesnipes; Loki found himself out of place and out of patience. Thank Odin that Thor was here. Otherwise, he would have kindly excused himself from the royals box with a quick diversion and a hoard of serpents in his wake.

He could tolerate the noise and loud displays of why he never really felt accepted in Asgard. Everyone here wasn't like him. They didn't think, act or behave like him. They often left him behind unless Thor dragged him along.

Thor…

Damn his perfection. Well, perfection in most things. His school grades were pitiful compared to Loki's, but Loki's were perfect marks across the board. Not that Odin or the rest of the kingdom noticed…

Well, since the turn out of this blasted tournament, Loki had to relent that perhaps he'd overlooked something earlier. The numbers alone were against his personal thoughts of obscurity in Asgard. This many buffoons wouldn't have competed against the strongest man in Asgard if they knew they wouldn't win anything more than little Loki. They had to know that even if they won, they wouldn't gain the throne. Thor had already been named the crown prince a while back, and marrying Loki would only get them a place in the royal household and a frost giant runt to bed.

"Competitors! Being!" Odin roared as the first round began, breaking Loki's inner musing with a hammer. It was a pared competition to eliminate some of the scores of men and women that had entered the tournament. There were just too many to do this the traditional way.

Loki clapped with the rest of the crowds as each competitor fell. He wasn't really paying attention to each fight, and just clapped when everyone else did. The only person he kept his gaze on was Thor. Said prince was currently soaked with sweat, roaring in aggression as he threw his hammer at his opponent. One of the very unfortunate Frost Giants had been pared with the golden prince, and had met a sorry fate as the hammer went right through his leg. The force of the hammer and Thor's anger had caused it to shatter as Mjolnir returned to its owner's hand. Thor was about to relinquish a fatal blow to the kneeling Frost Giant when the referee stopped the prince's attack using a shield spell. Thor shot the ref a harsh look as he twirled his hammer, ready for another attack.

"You won. Take your victory and your position in the ranks." The referee ordered the prince, who wasn't agreeing well with the call. Thor seemed to forget that execution wasn't an option in the tournaments. Loki smiled at the blue eyes that looked up to him as he passed to the side of the arena with the other victors. Thor smirked back at him and raised his hammer to show his glory. The crowd cheered loudly as the prince plopped himself down between Fandral and Volstagg. The fights kept going, and Loki turned his eyes from the seated Thor to Epsilon. He didn't want to give off a bad impression by favoring one competitor. The other realms never seemed to like that, or the other Asgardians for that matter. Loki swore, there were times that the defeated masses would bark about nearly anything to get another chance at winning. It wore Loki thin on the best of days. He could only imagine how Frigga and Odin felt after years of dealing with borderline temper tantrum from young warriors who didn't like to lose.

"What do you think so far, Loki?" Frigga happily asked, knocking Loki out of his stupor as he turned to her.

"They seem rather… able-bodied." Loki forced out. Why did he suggest a tournament? Why? He hated tournaments. This was a boring idea… now he was stuck here, unable to read his book like he usually did, and watching displays of boar headed 'manliness' that only made the sorcerer daydream about what book he could dive into next.

"Oh, come on Loki. Have some fun with it! Your future spouse is out there! Fighting for your hand!" Frigga encouraged. Thank Odin someone was happier than him about this. In the back of his mind, he knew he should be more enthusiastic about the tournament since he was the one who suggested it. However, the entirety of the luster went out the door when Epsilon and the Frost Giants intruded. Loki could feel their eyes on him at breakfast this morning, and when he chanced a glance at Epsilon, he met with lewd eyes of a bar crawler at last call who just saw a young maiden who happened to be free. Looking back, he wished that he hadn't looked towards the next set of wandering eyes. The Jotuns were staring at him like a fresh piece of meat. One of them was so bold as to lick his lips while staring at the young prince. Loki could still feel his skin crawling over him like a serpent's coils.

"Of course, mother." Loki replied, a false smile lining his lips. He hated lying to her, but he didn't want to upset her either. She put up with so much insanity from them as children, Loki didn't want to be a bad son while she was around. Odin was another matter, but both boys seemed to enjoy setting him off every once in a while. You know, just to keep things fun. Asgard, even in all its beauty and wonder, got boring after a while. And the last thousand years had been very quiet and calm… too calm for the youths of Asgard. Youths, who have the genetic perfection for battle, needed to let out their active nature in some sort of physical exertion. Loki found his outlet in pranks and reading (thankfully restoring itself to about a fourth of a percent of what it was before he was attacked… enough to make green sparks and flames, but not enough to lift anything more than a pen). Thor found relief in hunts and smashing things in the training yards.

Loki forced typical banter between Frigga, Odin and himself, trying his best to pretend that he was relatively interested in the tournament as the day passed. He forgot how long these elimination rounds took. He stopped feeling his ass about two hours ago, and could only watch as the fourth round of eliminations took hold. Thor had already taken out a Frost Giant, a dark elf, and a guard from Asgard's west walls; and was currently pared with another guard from the north wall. Loki still found it rather odd that so many people turned out for this. Part of his mind turned on him, whispering words of how they were mocking him and didn't really want to be near him. The other part negated the whispered words, trying to convince him that he was liked by almost everyone in the realm. His brain racked itself with warring words, making him dizzy with frustration.

As the final battle ended, Loki's attention came back to pretending to praise the warriors for their valiant efforts. They were fighting for him, after all. And he was enjoying the attention, despite it feeling very out of place. He still allowed his perfect emerald eyes to glance to the one man that mattered.

Thor.

He stood there, smirking with pride, as Odin delivered the ending speech for the day. As the Allfather's words bid the warriors to the feast, Loki caught Thor's warm stare in an invisible tug of war. If he could, he would have switched their bodies out with clones and snuck off to the library to ravish his perfect lips in as many kisses as he could.

He… didn't just think that.

It must have been the hormones.

Loki, the great trickster, didn't fawn over other people like that. And he most certainly didn't think about the man he'd grown up next to in such a filthy manner. If it wasn't for his borderline crazed mind, Loki would seriously consider setting Thor's cape on fire. You know, just for kicks.

That's what made him a trickster. And he wasn't giving that title up any time soon.

A movement forced his eyes away from Thor and to the remaining Frost Giant. The second prince of Jotenheim was licking his lips like a hungry dog starved of any meat for weeks. Loki felt his skin crawl at the thought of the beast capturing him again. If it wouldn't compromise relations between the kingdoms, he'd gladly roast the creature that had so wonderfully granted him the gift of slicing his arm open and forcing that horrible spell on him. His magic still wasn't returning as quickly as he wished. If it wasn't for his constant monitoring, Loki was certain that one of the challengers would have stolen him by this point. He was still sore from all the fighting against the spell when it took a turn for the worst. His muscles still stung every time he moved too much, and his arm managed to tear itself a little if he moved it in just the wrong angle.

Frigga's hand on his shoulder brought the green clad sorcerer out of his musings. He quickly exited the royal box and headed for the waiting horses. The royalty needed to be in the palace before anyone else in these events, and time was off the essence. Thor would make his way to the feast with all the other warriors when the time came.

"You know, Epsilon would make a wonderful son in law." Frigga said as the horses took off. Loki frowned at the idea of such a man taking his hand in marriage. Loki would have roasted him the moment his disdainful hand so much as brushed Loki's perfectly unblemished flesh.

"I'd much rather see Thor win." Loki stated bluntly, trying to be as nice as he could with his comments towards his mother's decision. She had always been so kind to him, he didn't want to cause her too much trouble.

"Oh, my dearest Loki, won't you see that there are more men in the kingdom than Thor?" Frigga chimed, unusually sweet. Something clicked in Loki's head. Frigga never spoke in such a chiming fashion. She was a queen, and queens always spoke straight forward and respectfully. Singing a tune to your words was considered a method of tending to children at best, and an insult to a grown man.

"I cannot help it, mother. He's just so enthusiastic about winning this tournament." Loki tested the waters with a sly silvered tongue. A moment of thinking brought Loki's mind to realize that Odin hadn't spoken since his rather dulled farewell to the victors at the tournament. Normally, he was abuzz with how each and every fighter had shown such skill. Loki swore the man could have remembered every swipe of a blade if he wanted to, as well as the warrior who swung it. There was a time that the trickster would have been delighted to do that, but now it seemed to frivolous. He knew his fighting styles, but the books in the library were far more interesting.

"Isn't he always, dear?" Frigga replied, still oddly happy.

"I suppose…" Loki replied as he pulled his horse to a stop, dismounting quickly to escape his parent's for a few minutes. He teleported to his room and quickly removed his outer robe. He tossed it on the bed before flopping down on his back. All that sitting straight up made his spine hurt, and he needed few minutes to just let gravity do the work for him. He let out a hefty sigh as he closed his eyes for only a moment.

"My my, such security in your room." An unwelcomed, sickly familiar voice oozed its way into his ears. Loki shot up from his position and threw out his hand to call for his favorite staff. It didn't come, which threw Loki off when a heavy figure threw itself at him, pinning him to the bed. He kicked and struggled, but only made it easier for his assailant to grab his wrist and hold him down.

"Get. Off." Loki growled, trying to muster up what little spell energy he could. He could at least set the captain's face ablaze while he was this close.

"Hum… I think not, my Loki." Epsilon said as he leaned in to lick the little prince's ear. Loki roared in frustration and disgust as he tried to flail his body enough to dislodge the captain.

"Mother and father will be-"

"They won't be coming. In fact, they haven't been here all day. I thought you of all people would have been able to sense Amora's cloning spell, but perhaps you still aren't feeling too well." Epsilon whispered into Loki's ear as he rolled his core against the prince's pinned body. Loki let out a muffled growl as he tried to kick again, but still to no avail.

"Where. Are. They." Loki demanded, trying to control his anger. Epsilon chuckled in his ear, planting a small kiss on Loki's cheek and earning him a glare from the younger man.

"They are safe. Amora has them in… 'storage', if you will. And I promise no harm will come to them if you declare me the winner of the tournament when the time comes." Epsilon whispered as he gently nosed the dark healthy hair of the second prince. Loki felt like he was being used as some sick form of cat toy.

"What will you do if I don't?" Loki asked flatly. He could feel Epsilon smirking into his hair.

"Then I'll tell my guards that you, the liesmith, stole them to gain favor in the kingdom. Most of the populous still doesn't believe that you've changed for the better, even if you have been a well behaved little bitch since Thor brought you back home." Epsilon said as he started to get back up. His brown eyes seemed to bore through Loki's green orbs, making the trickster feel that much more vulnerable.

"You won't…" Loki started.

"I can, and I will if you don't do as you are told, my love. I'll give you some time to think about it." Epsilon said as he exited quietly. Loki could only stare at the wall behind where the captain was standing, confused and ruffled as could be.

Shooting out of the bed, he ran to the door to see two guards standing there. Both looked at him with surprised expressions.

"I need you to fetch me Lady Sif and Hogun the Grim."

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><p>GAHHHH! Damn you to hell writer's block! How dare you attack after my final exams!<p>

Anyways, read and review please! It means a lot to me.


	16. This is how I feel after exams

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-hand falls off- wow that was a lot of names! Thank you all for reading this far!

Ok, me no own Thor, norse mythology is up for grabs to those who enjoy it.

And please review again~ oh, and please leave your name or screenname. I can't tell who is who unless you leave a name… and I doubt 'Guest' is your screenname.

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><p>It was official, this day couldn't get any worse.<p>

Loki was trapped in the royal box with the two imposters, and there was nothing he could do about it. If he tried to expose Epsilon and Amora for holding Odin and Frigga captive, the kingdom would be accused of fixing the tournament. They couldn't afford another war at the moment, and with the Frost Giants looking for any reason to cease the pleasantries, things were just getting worse.

Loki put on a clearly false smile to appease his brother's worried glance at him from the stadium floor. He didn't have a chance to talk to Thor alone this morning, and even if he had, he couldn't tell Thor that Amora had helped their Captain do such a thing. Aside from his reputation as a trickster, Loki had cried sheep a few too many times. Few believed his stories, and that made getting the truth out near impossible.

Thor kept staring at his brother, and tried to figure out why the icy beauty was acting so strange. Frigga and Odin had been acting strangely this morning as well, but Thor wrote it off as portions of their conversation that he didn't catch. It was very easy to lose a conversation in the hall when they held tournaments. So many people in one room with amazing acoustics amounted to just too much for one's ears to keep up.

The second round was a maze. With only fifty competitors remaining, it wasn't too hard to have each person start at a different gate at a different time. They were allowed in ten at a time, and Loki couldn't have felt worse when he saw both Sif and Hogun enter the green hedges without even glancing at the second prince.

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><p>Last night<p>

Sif and Hogun both arrived begrudgingly at his room. Sif, still holding her typical hatred of Loki, met him with crossed arms and a frown. Hogun was just quiet, but Loki wasn't expecting a lot of talk from him.

"Thank you for coming. I'm sorry for the incon-"

"Stow it. What do you want, liesmith?" Sif barked. Loki could feel the tension rising in his spine, but couldn't do anything to quell it.

"I have reason to suspect Epsilon has kidnapped Odin and Frigga and used Amora to replace them with copies." Loki spoke, carefully watching his words. Judging by the looks on Sif and Hogun's faces, they didn't believe him.

"Nice try, trickster. Come Hogun, the feast is waiting." Sif growled as she turned to leave.

"Wait! Aren't you even suspicious of how they've been behaving? This isn't normal!" Loki yelped as they started to leave.

"It is far more likely that you are behind this mischief, king of lies." Sif bluntly said as she stopped at the door. Hogun kept walking, and didn't seem to want to be in the same room as either one of them.

"Sif, I swear on my entire book collection, I'm telling the truth!" Loki retorted, trying not to lose his temper at the woman. Of all the women in Asgard, he had to rely on the one that hated his guts. Perfect…

"Wow. Your book collection. Such 'honor' my prince has to swear on his paper and leather! Cease your lies, royal buffoon." Sif said as she mocked him by throwing her arms about wildly to add to the exaggeration.

"Sif. I know you don't like me, but Thor and the Warrior's Three are in danger if Epsilon has tipped the scales! I don't want to see any of them hurt! Please, I just ask that you see what Amora is holding in the hall of magic!" Loki begged, leaving a horrid taste on his tongue. If this wasn't a desperate moment, Loki would have gladly slapped the woman for her words. He just had to battle through the restrictions placed on him.

"Oh the great whore of the palace wants me to help him? What a shock! He doesn't want Captain Epsilon to take him to bed! Well, most of the kingdom would agree that Epsilon should look elsewhere. Thor must have taken too many hammers to the head if he thinks you are worth bedding, Frost Giant." Sif growled. Loki could only stare at her in horror.

"Who… who told you?" Loki muttered, rage and frustration stinging at his eyes.

"Frigga insisted that you be treated 'equally', but I overheard when Thor was leaving for Jotenheim. To think, Odin would have soiled such a throne with the damn Frost Giant…" Sif whispered as she leaned against the door frame.

"I'm not a whore." Loki uttered as he held his temper. He was about to lose it. He had held his growing rage at the situation long enough. One more words from her and he'd-

"Perhaps you deserve to end up with Epsilon. Then Thor can go back to the gender that really matters." The woman chortled.

And that was it. Loki's hand shot up from his side, connecting with the flesh of her cheek with a sharp smack. Regret hit him like a ton of bricks. He was always told that he shouldn't hit a lady, but Sif was asking for it. She pushed him until he broke. Hel, he was still broken. If he hadn't had enough internal battles roaring in his head that accused him of the exact same words she spoke, it would be different. But it hurt. He had heard them so many times in his own head, he didn't even remember what a quiet mind sounded like.

"I would apologize… but you were not acting very lady like. So I won't bother." Loki growled as he started to turn away from the woman.

"My apologies, Prince Loki. I misspoke." Sif forced out, as well commanded as a trained palace guard.

"Tell me. Since no one else will say a damn word about it under penalty of imprisonment... Do they all think of me that way?" Loki asked as he leaned against his bed post. His chest hurt where his heart had tried to force its way out of his ribcage. He felt like vomiting, but couldn't do it on an empty stomach.

"…No." Sif finally replied after two minutes of awkward silence. Loki looked up at her, eyes red from held back frustration. He wouldn't cry in her presence. It wasn't proper to do so.

"What do they think of me? " Loki said as he straightened himself and tried to adjust his clothing.

"Most just see you as the quiet prince. Thor is usually on their tongues. The royal family isn't a big priority in Asgard. Nothing really bad ever happens to any of you." Sif joked at the end. Loki seemed to straighten himself a little more.

"Then why did you say…" Loki trialed off. His emotions were getting in the way again, and he wouldn't risk his voice betraying him again.

"You aren't the only person who finds Thor attractive. He's a man among men. I… I spoke out of jealousy…" Sif admitted roughly. Her defenses were falling, and only seeming less necessary than ever before. Loki forced out a disarming, dry laugh.

"Certainly there are other men in Asgard for a woman like you?" Loki asked, catching a sniffle before it tried to get out. He was a man for Odin's sake, he shouldn't be fighting with these emotions.

"Oh, there are other men. Just not other men like Thor." Sif replied as she stood up again.

"Thank you for your time, Sif. Please enjoy the feast…" Loki said as he turned back towards his bed and looked out at the sunset. Sif started to move towards the door, but stopped for a moment as she was about to exit.

"You are not as unattractive as you want to paint yourself, Loki." She said as she started towards the feast, leaving Loki to stare after her and into the open hallway.

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><p>Present Day<p>

Loki was practically waiting for the knife to slice its way through his back. Amora came across as someone that tolerated Loki's antics more than accepted him, which was the case with the majority of the people Loki had come across in the last few years. But Amora was after Thor since the day she first laid eyes on him, and would gladly murder any woman in her way. When word spread of Thor's obsession with the green eyed prince, her fury erupted. The only time Loki had seen her before the tournament began was when she was glaring at him from across the library. The guards weren't allowing her access to him while she was acting so aggressive (and had managed to set fire to the Hall of Magic earlier that very day).

The sorceress was currently nowhere to be found in the stadium, which worried Loki to no ends. He drew his tired, sleep robbed eyes back to the maze. Magic markers had been placed over the competitors so the crowd could see where they were, but they wouldn't be able to see where each other was. No need to let them trick or cheat each other, right?

Thor seemed to be doing very well. He had already bested a dragon and overthrew a cockatrice in his path while Loki had been spacing out. Said trickster was finding it hard to keep his head up after a night with no restful sleep and constant horrid thoughts plaguing his mind. Even though Sif had apologized for her comments on his life, he still let his own mind betray him. He didn't know why he felt the need to trick people, but it got him attention when there wasn't a lot given freely. Thor absorbed a good percentage of Odin's attention, and what little was left was usually not for Loki. So, yes, he was an attention whore. A very deprived attention whore.

Cheers went up from one side of the stadium for Epsilon as the man was nearing Thor's position, meeting a grand combat of cries for Thor emanating from the other side. Loki's head shot back up (when had it gone down?) and he clapped with the rest of the 'family'. No reason to alert the viewers that something was rotten in the royal box. He couldn't take the chaos that would cause (and Loki **loved** chaos, so part of his heart was killing him at the thought of not wanting to watch all Hel break loose on this peanut gallery of muscles and single digit brain cells).

Loki let his eyes close as people started to move towards the snack stands and bathrooms. These tournaments could easily take all day, so snack vendors would see everything from fried dough to ostrich legs roasted on a spit. Loki would usually get the fried dough or some sweet alcoholic substance while he waited for Thor to finish beating the brutes into further brain damage, but he needed the sugar and fat to wake him up.

Loki dragged himself from his seat and started to walk towards the vendors' area, just outside the wall. A spear dropped in front of the prince's chest, stopping his path just as he was about to exit the stadium.

"My apologies, Prince Loki, but Odin has forbid you to leave the stadium until after the trial today." The guard said. Loki sighed heavily, unsure of how to get his treat now.

"I just want to get some fried dough and a drink." Loki replied, too tired to get his voice up to its typical demanding tone. The guard shifted for a moment, unsure of what to do.

"I'm sorry, but Odin's orders were very clear." The guard replied, regret painting his face.

"Any chance I could give one of your guards some money and they could get the food for me?" Loki asked, his eyes barely staying open. The guard waved a younger guard in training over and whispered to him for a moment, then turned back to Loki with a nod. Loki smiled as he withdrew his money.

"Just get me fried dough with cinnamon sugar and one of the sweet drinks, and you can keep the rest." Loki smiled as he handed over nearly twice the amount it was going to cost. The young guard nodded quickly, blushing as Loki's hand touched his. The kid couldn't have been older than Loki himself, and was probably on his first real job. He rushed off without another word and left Loki with the older guard.

"You shouldn't have done that." The guard said, being as sincere as possible.

"He's young, and I know how little they first years make. He deserves a good tip for being an errand boy." Loki replied kindly as he tried to cover a yawn, which slightly distorted his voice. The guard smiled at the young prince, and for the first time in years, Loki felt it was a genuine smile. Loki turned himself back towards the stands and leaned against the wall. He could watch the competition from here without being close to his 'parents', and he got to stand for a little while.

The young guard came back about five minutes after he left, and presented Loki with the drink and a plate of fried dough covered in cinnamon and sugar. He bashfully presented the plate to Loki, who smiled and took it from him gently. The guard presented him the change from the money Loki had given him, but Loki smirked and reached behind the guard's head to bring the youngster close. He placed a single kiss on the little guard's head, and pressed the money back into his hands.

"Consider it a tip. You've earned it." Loki smiled and headed back to the royal box. The young guard just stood there, shocked and blushing as the beautiful prince of Asgard left him in the darkened entryway.

Loki returned to sitting in his seat for the next two hours. He was growing more bored than he even thought possible. His imagination was starting to wander, and he started to manifest tiny figures to dance for him while he glanced up every once in a while to see where Thor and Epsilon were. The crowd's sudden shout caused Loki to jump, making him break his concentration as the figures vanished.

The markers above both Thor and Epsilon were approaching the exit, and it looked like Thor would-

YES!

Thor gained first place in the navigation trial! Oh this was wonderful!

Loki didn't stop himself from jumping out of his seat and clapping loudly. The imposters looked at Loki as if he were diseased for acting out so much in public. Loki didn't care; he would do what he wanted to. Especially since these two weren't his real parents. If he wanted to clap for Thor and no one else, he would. If anyone asked, he would claim it was for the first person out of the maze. Now he could clap for the next few contenders with less vigor.

As the rest of the competitors exited the maze, Loki clapped respectfully, until the last three people left with looks of disappointment. The last ten out of the maze would be eliminated from the next round, but would go home with plenty of women from the stands hanging off their arms. Placing in these tournaments was a huge honor to begin with, and making it into the third round was a feat in and of itself.

As the royals were ushered from the box before anyone else left the stadium, Loki chose to ignore his imposter parents, mounted his horse, and smiled at the exiting winners. Sif was among them, and smirked back at him.


	17. Who's adopted?

Ok, I'm back. Sorry about the wait, I got a little sick thanks to the excessive heat. Anyways, if you see an issue, tell me and I'll fix it. This is still unbetaed, so human mistakes are likely here. Still not too canon, but I wanted to play with my own vision here. Besides, canon seems to be a fan favorite, but I need something a little more… 'out there'. It's all for a bigger cause, and if you don't like that kind of writing, just hit the back button now. I tend not to pander to trolls.

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I don't own Thor, Marvel does. Norse mythology belongs to the world cultures, and can be played with to a certain extent.

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><p>His eyes stung as he pushed his tired body from its cloud soft bedding. Morning wasn't a good time for Loki. Frankly, he would have rather cloned his brain and let it do what it wanted to in the morning while his body slept until it was ready. But instead, his ever racing mind woke him at the crack of dawn with the first patter of servants running between the rooms. Curse his ears for paying attention to every sound under the sun.<p>

As if on cue, Thor's name sake footsteps came rushing towards his room. Loki barely had the time to throw on a tunic before the golden haired lummox burst through his door with a bang against the wall. Loki silently swore that the man had something against wooden doors since he enjoyed nearly breaking them every time he came into contact with them.

"Brother!" Thor started as he approached Loki with a exuberant air of success. Loki reminded himself to conjure some earplugs to dampen the lion's roar his brother boasted with every vocalization.

"I'm not your brother…" Loki grumbled as he ruffled his morning bed head back into relative place. He wasn't quite awake yet, and trying to endure his brother's oppressive presence was a chore in and of itself.

"I know" Thor chortled as he reached forward to hug his brother. Loki let out an unusual squeak of indignity as Thor nearly crushed him in a bear hug.

"Thor! Let go!" Loki managed to shove out of his sore lungs. Thor released the green clad man and held his signature overconfident smirk. Loki took a moment to regain his breath in his practically collapsed lungs, and then looked at his golden haired buffoon.

"Now, what has you so excited?" Loki asked calmly as the playful puppy look soared into Thor's face. Loki swore he would never understand how this man was supposed to be king of Asgard. He wouldn't be surprised if the man started to run in circles after an imaginary tail with the bounding amount of energy he seemed to harbor in that sculpted body.

"Today's challenge!" Thor roared as he flexed, as if showing off to his imaginary friends. Loki used to joke to himself that Thor always had friends around, even if they were imaginary. He was just too positive around the clock to not have something not clicking correctly. Loki would never understand how the young heir would remain calm enough to take on his duties as king when he couldn't pay attention to stale topics for more than fifteen minutes.

"Which would be?" Loki implored as he grabbed his pants and shoved a leg into them.

"Jousting!" Thor practically jumped in joy. Loki smirked as he watched his brother do his little macho display of strength.

"I take it this pleases you?" Loki joked, allowing his mind to wander into mischievous thoughts. What oh what could he do today to make this tournament more interesting? If Sif and Hogun wouldn't help him find Odin and Frigga, he would at least make this tournament as unpleasant and taxing as possible on Sir Epsilon. Perhaps phenophalene in his drink? Or a bit of tarantula hairs in his armor? How about a mess of fleas in his wardrobe? Certainly that would deter him from wanting to steal Loki's freedom with the condemnation of marriage to someone he didn't want to be with. Given, part of him felt like he shouldn't have to do this at all, but the random surges of hormones weren't going to stay quiet forever. If he had to be with someone, it needed to be with someone he wouldn't want to murder after the honeymoon. Thor had always found humor in his actions, and was always there when Loki needed a friend. If his mind wasn't always so scientifically critical, Loki would have guessed that Thor was psychic to Loki's needs.

"Yes!" Thor roared with a lion's prideful smile. Just as he started to showboat his muscles again, Sif appeared at the doorway. Thor looked at her, as if wondering why she was even here. He thought she hated Loki's very existence, so she shouldn't have been here at all. Shooting a glare at the dark haired man, Thor begged for him to send her off.

"Run off, we will be at breakfast shortly." Loki replied as comfortingly as he could. He placed a cool hand on Thor's warm shoulder.

"But-" Thor tried, hurt decorating his face.

"Don't worry about it. We just need to talk for a few minutes." Loki cut off Thor as the blonde warrior looked to the green clad man, as if expecting his confusion or distain.

"…Alright." Thor growled as he exited the room with a glare toward Sif. She shrugged at his actions, but approached Loki with a calm, almost tired air.

"Ignore him. He's probably jealous of everyone and everything that comes across his path." Loki addressed to the dark haired warrior. Sif shrugged it off as Thor being defensive. He had to feel cornered with all the competition gunning for Loki's hand. And Thor was typically very aggressive about winning a tournament. So when the prize is the only person he's ever loved, it was difficult to blame the man for getting a little jerky about people being alone with Loki.

"I know. He really loves you. It makes me jealous." Sif sighed. Such love was so rare, anyone could admire such dedication.

"Sorry." Loki offered, trying to be supportive. It was hard to comfort a friend when you were going to marry their greatest desire. He felt like a jerk, but couldn't voice it without looking even worse.

"Don't be. Everyone deserves love, and I suppose my time will come. Thor's the idealist man, but his happiness and friendship mean more to me than anyone can imagine." Sif relented. It was like letting go of an Olympic medal after years of trying to gain it. There were just some things that weren't meant to be yours, but that usually meant there was something better down the path.

"I'm glad to hear that. You're an amazing woman and warrior, but an even better friend. I can't say that for half the council." Loki replied. Sif couldn't tell if he was telling the truth, but she was none the less flattered as a tiny bit of blush came to her cheeks. She hadn't received a compliment like that in weeks, and it made her heart flutter with pride to know that her endeavors had paid off. It wasn't easy being one of the only women warriors in Asgard, but it had a few perks.

"Anyways, I looked into Amora's house. Hogun and Fandral looked into her area at the Magic Hall, and Volstagg investigated the mines out the south. We haven't found anything yet, but Volstagg hasn't returned yet." Sif sighed. It had been a long evening, and frankly, a little rest would be greatly appreciated. True they didn't 'need' sleep, but it felt so good to sleep after a hunt while their injuries healed.

"Do you think he got himself caught?" Loki gaped. He enjoyed Thor's friends company, and feared that the worst had happened to their voluptuous friend. Volstagg was one of the three who enjoyed Loki's pranks (as long as no one got hurt).

"Unfortunately. Amora's smart, and she would have kept them in a well guarded hideout. Any chance I can get a distraction after breakfast to give us a few hours to investigate with some guards?" Sif growled, her frustration over the situation flashing as it grew. Loki hadn't seen the ruffled side of Sif in such a long time, it felt strange.

"Oh my. Are you asking the God of Mischief if he wants to cause havoc and possibly delay the tournament today?" Loki sarcastically joked. He was really starting to feel like his old self before all of this madness had started.

"Well, it is right up your alley." Sif replied giving a smile that could only be temptation of pranks that she'd abandoned a long time ago. Honor came first in Asgard, and women were socially expected to be kind and courteous to everyone they interacted with. So the youthful pranks they played on each other as children were strictly off limits after they came of age. That hadn't hindered Loki within the least, which was why some of the older inhabitants of Asgard regarded him as a childish pain in the rear.

"I'll get something together. Take my personal guards and head out as soon as the others are willing. I'll keep Thor and the combatants distracted." Loki jested with a signature, mischievous smirk. Sif had forgotten how much that smirk used to make her so cautious. It was the same smile he'd worn when he was up to no good, and had likely laid a trap somewhere nearby to spook the next unfortunate person to trip it.

Sif gave Loki a small nod as she turned to leave. Loki started to gather his small bit of magic to create a few flash dust bombs. He could place these under each table without being noticed if he used an invisibility spell. A little spark spell should do just the trick.

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><p>Loki proceeded down to the gathering hall with his body cloaked in magic and the orbs of flash powder tucked safely in a satchel he'd dug up. He snuck into the hall and approached the table carefully, sliding his hand under the benches and pushing each orb into place. He made sure not to touch anyone. The only pot hole in his plot would be if someone caught him. This whole performance screamed Loki's name as loud as a banshee's screech. He was more than willing to admit that he was going to get caught, and he would proudly admit it after all was said and done. He just couldn't get caught until the damage was done. He needed to make the biggest mess available, and give these men a good reminder that Loki's mischievous habits were not going to die after marriage.<p>

As the last bomb slide into its position, Loki slide back out of the hall and into a small broom closet. He dispelled himself of his invisibility and headed back towards the hall. A small snap of the fingers and a loud blast was heard from the gathering hall. Loki smiled to himself as he pretended to run towards the shouts and war cries that emanated from the smoke billowing out of the doorway. He chuckled to himself as the smoke cleared, only to see that swords and axes were clanging together as the warriors fought. Some accused each other of trying to destroy the royal family, others yelled about gaining higher rankings in the tournament, and many more were just screaming.

Pure music to Loki's ears.

Chaos was his melody, and this was perfect. Watching the muscle bound meatheads fighting over him was just blissful.

But a thin, feminine hand on his wrist broke his thoughts. Sif tugged him over to the side as he watched his personal guards following Fandral and Hogun out the front door of the palace.

"Well done." She whispered. He smirked as he clapped her on the shoulder, and gave her a small push towards the door. She started to run as quickly as she could to catch up with the men who had already started down the steps.

Loki smiled to himself as he entered the hall, painting a picture of confusion on his façade as he ran to Thor, who was throwing men left and right. A primal roar cut through the air from his throat until Loki reached him, grabbing his arm. The false Odin called for peace as he threw his arm in the air, sending a powerful surge of light through the hall. The warriors stopped, most taking their seats on the remainder of the still standing tables.

As the hall calmed, Thor whisked Loki towards the door again, silently grabbing an apple for the younger man as he pulled the beauty into the walkway. Loki didn't speak as he was caught against the wall. He was glad that no one would see them out here, but they wouldn't have more than ten minutes when the extra ingredients took effect. Loki knew he should have felt bad for making the warriors sick, but he didn't. It would keep them out for the day, but as an extra bit of insurance, he'd laced the horses feed with the same chemicals. By now, the stable boys would be attempting to cover up the diarrhea. He did feel bad about the horses getting sick, since his own 'adopted son' had eight legs and neighed at him for treats every time he visited the stables. Slepnir was always spared from Loki's pranks, but that didn't stop the memories of discovering the abandoned foal by the stable that cold winter morning.

"Why did you do that?" Thor demanded, frustration masking itself as anger in his face. Loki's thoughts shattered as he came back to the present.

"Oh, come now." Loki chuckled as he stole the apple and took a large bite.

"You know that was foolish. Father will be furious." Thor grumbled as he placed his hand on the wall, pinning Loki in front of him. Those devilish green eyes shined as he smirked at Thor, who could only release a relenting smile at the prankster.

"He might be, but it was worth it. Come. We should enjoy the rest of the morning." Loki insisted as he ducked under Thor's arm and started towards the gardens. Thor stared after him in disbelief.

"You cause havoc and then expect to leave for the day? Have you forgotten about the tournament? The seat in the royal box? My place in the tournament? Jousting?" Thor spoke as he started to follow the young man. Loki smiled as he took another bite of the apple.

"Those bombs will make everyone sick in a few minutes. I wanted to be away from it. Besides." Loki spoke as he turned and placed his arms around Thor's neck, catching the man off guard.

"Besides?" Thor stated, smiling a little at what Loki could be thinking. The guards would be busy herding the people around today, and wouldn't notice Loki locking himself away in his room with his brother. He chose to ignore the rolling in his stomach, thinking it was just butterflies.

"I want to spend today with you. Alone. In my room." Loki said as he released Thor when the man suddenly moved away from him, pushing him back slightly. Vomit forced its way up Thor's throat, spewing out as he tried to keep it covered. Thor fell to his knees as the waves of nausea took over. Loki hadn't imagined that Thor would have eaten so much at one meal, but he recalled that the blond was excited about today. Chances were he bulked up on protein to prepare for a long day of jousting.

"Sorry…" Loki whispered as he helped the man up, wiping away the stomach fluid from the thunderers' lips with his free hand. Thor nodded as he allowed Loki to start leading him back to their rooms. Loki would tend to Thor today, since the medics would be very busy.

As the trickster hauled his brother towards their quarters, he couldn't help but revel in his victory. Not only had he managed to prank the entire competition, but he got his alone time with Thor and gave their friends the time they needed to investigate Amora.

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><p>AN- Slepnir's story was altered slightly for artistic license. Since Loki's a virgin here, I couldn't have Slepnir be his son. So, guess who's adopted! I thought it would make it cuter. Now, since this isn't based off any particular Thor universe, I don't 'have' to adhere to anyone else's rules about who gave birth to who! Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed that part. I put this note in for 'insurance', if you will.

Thank you for reading and review if you don't mind! Please! You get cybercookies if you do! And please, if you see an unauthorized version of my story anywhere, tell me. It needs to be flagged. Even if it's a rant on another site. I welcome reviews here, but only where I post my work. I find it weak and childish to post cruel things about people where they can't see them. Especially when they are using what used to be such a respectable shield to cover up their cyberbullying.


	18. Jealous much?

Just a tiny reminder, review here. I only approved reviews on DeviantArt and Fanfiction. Hence, I can't see them if they aren't on here. Therefore, I can't improve.

I thank everyone who reviews here. It really makes my day, even if it's not sugar canes and flowers every time (though, the people who are behind me on the bullying matters always get a star on the email, so I can reread it every day!). A writer can't grow unless they get feedback on their writing style. I should warn you guys, I will be going back to school Monday, so updates will be fewer for a few weeks, and probably disappear around Christmas time when exams and my job demands kick up.

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Sami?! Is that you?

Guest-1: Thank you so much! I didn't catch your name, but you really inspired me! I have reread your review fifteen times since you sent it, and you've encouraged me to keep dreaming. I will get to Loki's brothers in the next chapter, but I assure you, they will be as brutish as I can make them!

Major thanks to xXTanXx and Sion Alphanios for pointing out some mistakes I made! Thanks for watching me guys. It really helps when I get feedback about my mistakes. Tis human after all!

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I don't own Marvel, or Norse legends. I make no money off this. Please read and review politely!

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><p>If there was one good thing about having a sick day, it was that no one bothered you when you didn't call for them. Other than Thor, Loki's chambers were rarely graced with another's presence. So after the fiasco in the meeting hall, it didn't surprise him when no one came to find him until the next morning. Thor was still playing the part as a pillow, with his large arm wrapped around Loki's shoulders as he pulled the smaller man onto his chest. Loki didn't hesitate to nuzzle himself into the warm crook of Thor's neck, his ear pressed against the thinner part of the Thunderer's flesh. He could hear the strong heartbeat that fueled the prince's body pounding against the walls of his chest like the thunder storms Thor liked to conjure during battle. It was hard not to appreciate the sound of the only person he ever really trusted being alive and with him, alone with the sunlight barely trickling over the windowsill.<p>

Loki nestled himself into a new comfortable position when his arm started to cramp up, only moving a little as he released a heavy sign gaining weight in his lungs. He couldn't go back to sleep, but had resolved himself to resting against the grand lummox's body until someone tried to wake them. Thor was still out of it, and didn't show any signs of rousing in the next few minutes. The blonde man had spent the previous day alternating between five minutes of vomiting and an hour of resting thanks to Loki's prank. He didn't mean to make Thor that sick, but the pressure to provide a good, time consuming distraction meant that Loki might have overdone it on the concentration of the mixture. He felt guilty for the first time in years, but had to brush it away under the guise of justification. Sif and the others needed to get the day to explore Amora's lair. Come to think of it, he hadn't checked if they had made it back yesterday. Taking care of the miserable lump of puking warrior that was Thor took up a better portion of the day. The rest of it was spent washing the towels and garments by hand in his sink when they became casualties of vomit war.

To add concern to injury, Thor had stopped spewing anything solid around midday. Yellow bile and clear stomach acid had conjoined together when they came hurling out of the thunder's mouth, gladly painting Loki's tunic a new shade of diluted yellow. Loki tried to get him to eat some potatoes and boiled grains, but they only stayed down for a few minutes. At least it wasn't as acid based as the former hacking episodes.

Loki breathed in a deep, Thor scent filled inhalation. Between the distant sound of the waves being carried on the air and the comfort of Thor's body curled against his own, he felt like he had gotten more restful slumber in yesterday evening than he had in the past few months. His hormones had been raging so much at night, he'd had trouble even staying still for more than fifteen minutes. As a result, his back would stiffen and his shoulders would cramp. Sleep evaded him like a mouse from a cat, and left him feeling drained the next day.

A sudden, stiff movement from underneath his head awoke Loki from his partial slumber. He looked up to see that Thor was yawning and wiping the small trail of drool from his lips as he stretched his muscles. Loki had divested him of his tunic and cape last night when the tenth repeat of digestive juices adorned his attire with a new color. Thor looked down on Loki, pulling him close to his body as he kissed the mischief maker's head. Loki had on a loose tunic that he'd stolen from Thor's closet a while ago. Thor thought he'd lost the tattered rag of a shirt, but was relieved when he saw that his favorite, worn out tunic was being used as his brother's new sleep shirt. It hung off Loki like a moss covered tree, and made the lithe man look that much smaller. Loki enjoyed it so much because it smelled like Thor, and while he wouldn't admit it to mother or father, he lavished the smell of his elder 'brother'.

"Morning." Loki whispered against the thunderer's jaw line. As long as the guards didn't find them like this, everything would go as planned. And with the false Odin and Frigga at the head of the tables, it wasn't hard to think that today would be easier to skip. Thor wouldn't be allowed to miss the tournament, but Loki could haul himself out of bed an extra two hours after he was supposed to make his appearance at the table. Amora probably hadn't planned that Loki would take advantage of the interference to give himself a small vacation from the stresses of being pursued by half the realm.

"What time is it?" Thor yawned as he breathed in the scent of the younger man. Loki didn't bother to suppress the broad smile and small laugh that paraded onto his face. Thor beard tickled his neck like the feathers of a small, newborn chick. It felt amazing to know that the man he'd grown up with didn't have the slightest problem being this open with him in his bed. Loki had feared that his personality would scare away any bed partner, and that even if he managed to get someone into his room, they would flee in awkwardness. Thus was the biggest problem in royalty- you weren't always allowed to grow like the rest of your age group.

"Breakfast started fifteen minutes ago. You should probably get moving." Loki replied as he pressed a small kiss into Thor's head. Since it was an intimate moment, why not get his fill of it? No one could criticize them at the moment. So there was no reason to act shy about his growing feelings.

"And you aren't going?" Thor inquired as he wrapped his other arm around the younger man, pulling his chest into the thunderer's massive bulk. Loki whirled his body around so that Thor's front was against his clothed back. Thor took the moment to attack Loki's neckline with a fuzzy beard and a ravenous tongue. Loki didn't hold back the chuckling as Thor tickled the thin flesh, making his skin flitter and flutter against the grainy facial hair.

"I'll be along shortly. I just wanted to have a little quiet time to myself. How's the stomach?" Loki asked as he stretched his stiff muscles, taking in the cacophony of sounds as he popped his joints.

"Won't mother and father be angry? And, yes, after your vile mixture wore off. Why did you do that?" Thor accused as he pushed himself from underneath the covers. His feet met the freezing floor, chilling his entire form. He refused the shiver that climbed his spine the luxury of performing for Loki as he reached for a clean tunic that the mischief maker had been kind enough to fetch for him the previous evening. Thor let a small thought of wonder cross his mind as to the state of his room. He was certain that the crafty weasel had taken the time to plant a bomb filled with spider eggs under his pillow or laced his undergarments with dog hair.

"They knew yesterday that I was uncomfortable. I told them I'd be there later today." Loki said as he flopped back down on the mattress. He didn't want to let the blonde buffoon know that his parents had been kidnapped by the harpy who'd been obsessed with him since they were barely able to walk. Thor needed to focus on winning the tournament, not on finding his parents. Loki had to ignore the twinge of pain that struck his heart at the thought of hiding the facts from Thor. Even if this was a sensitive issue, Thor would thank him later if he didn't have to pick up the leadership in Odin's absence and deal with the accusations of rigging the tournament to mock the other realms.

"That doesn't cover why you practically poisoned the entire competition with that… that… what was that anyways?" Thor barked with a small laugh on the end. When all was said and done with Loki's pranks, you could only laugh. With the exception of hacking off Sif's hair, there was rarely permanent damage done, and even she forgave him once it grew back. Given, his pretty face was black and blue for a month when it first happened, but hair grows back, and Sif finally laughed about it. She just wouldn't allow the dark haired prince to stand behind her for more than a second.

"Identifier and pepper heat. Always makes for a good day off. And I'm the Prince of Lies. The King of Mischief! Did you really think I'd pass up an opportunity to prank the tournament?" Loki chuckled as he rolled back to face Thor.

"Oh, so that's why it felt like magma!" Thor barked back, a deep chest laugh roaring from his throat. Loki smiled broadly and flipped over to hug his pillow while he watched Thor throw on the pants he'd brought him yesterday. He took a moment to admire his brother's anatomy. He would always be jealous of Thor's broad shoulders and muscular torso, built like a stallion instead of a cat. Loki always thought he looked like a lithe feline, while the rest of Asgard admired his brother's triumphant trot through the streets and ignored Loki's slithering crawl.

"Give us a kiss." Thor said as he leaned over and pecked Loki on the cheek, making his already painfully bright smile radiate like a sunburst. Loki reached up to give Thor another smooch when he heard footsteps coming towards his door.

"Get down!" Loki cried as he pushed Thor onto the floor with surprising strength. The trickster threw a blanket and two pillows over Thor, effectively covering the sprawling form.

"Loki! What the Hel?" Thor's voice came from underneath the blankets.

"Stay still! You can't be seen here with me!" Loki replied as he quickly tumbled back into bed, kicking the sheets so it looked like he was still half asleep. The door creaked open just as Thor stopped moving.

"Prince Loki?" The guard asked as he looked towards the bed. Loki's loosely dressed form turned his head to take a good look at the number of guards. Thankfully, just one stood at the doorway with his golden cape draped over his shoulder.

"Mupf?" Loki moaned in question as the guard stood at attention.

"Queen Frigga asks that you join them at the breakfast table shortly." The guard announced. Loki raised his body up slowly, trying his best to mimic the movements of early morning bed numbness. He yawned slowly, and nodded his head.

"As soon as I'm dressed. You may go, good guard." Loki said as he started to slowly move towards the dresser. The guard bowed his head and shoulders briefly before closing the door. Loki waited until the guard was gone to reach over to Thor's covered form and pull the blanket off.

"Sorry about that." Loki apologized. He didn't mean it, but that was because he loved to toss Thor around every once in a while.

"It's fine. I wouldn't want you to have to undergo another examination on my fault." Thor joked as he rose up from his position on the floor and tossed the pillows back onto the bed.

"I wanted to transport you, but my magic isn't up to that big of a task right now. Can't imagine why." Loki jested as he hinted towards Thor's high maintenance spew fest the night before. All the cleaning up stains and piles of undigested food had left Loki's weakened magic with a tab larger than a bankers' debt.

"It's alright." Thor said as he pulled Loki into a hug. "I should go."

"Let me show you the secret way down." Loki said as he pulled a fake stone panel back, showing a large opening. Thor looked at the trickster, certain this would cause nothing but chaos.

"What is that?" Thor asked as he eyed the tube closely.

"Midgardians call it a 'slide'. It's how I sleep in late each morning, but get to breakfast on time." Loki replied as he threw off Thor's old tunic. Thor stared at the trickster like a hungry dog stares at a juicy steak. His lewd eye groping ended as Loki threw on his clean tunic for the day.

"Is it safe?" Thor asked.

"Of course it is. You'll be at the bottom in a few minutes. Safe and sound. I swear." Loki said as he pulled on his pants and buckled his belt around his small waist. Thor placed a hand on the top portion of the slide. Loki waited for a moment before placing a hand on the small of Thor's back. Thor jumped as he thought Loki was going to push him down, only to be met with laughter.

"Come on Thor, have some fun!" Loki said as he pushed Thor to the floor and lined him up.

"Loki, I don't think this is-" Thor started.

"Go!" Loki barked as he pushed Thor down the slide. He heard the thunderer gasp as he started to go down. The trickster laughed as he heard the signature chortle of the hammer wielder echo through the tube. He closed the false wall and gathered his formal cloak. Today was going to rain, but that just made a good excuse to bundle up. The stadium was covered with heavy oil covered cloth banners that formed a large tent on rainy days, causing rain to run off the fabric and onto the ground outside the building. It meant that no one would get wet, but the sorcerers would be busy trying to keep the stadium well lit towards the center.

The trickster headed downstairs, making sure not to run across anyone until Epsilon entered his view. Just his luck, the Captain was blocking his path.

"Please excuse me, Captain. I have to go to breakfast." Loki politely said as he tried to walk around Epsilon, only to be met with a large arm barring his path.

"I don't think so, my Loki." Epsilon said as he captured Loki against the wall, flagging his sides with both arms. Loki hadn't realized how large the captain was until now.

"I- I have to go." Loki said as he tried to keep the small talk as minuscule as possible. Epsilon chuckled in his ear as his Cheshire Cat grinned face met the side of Loki's head.

"You still smell of Thor." The captain growled.

"We talked this morning." Loki threw back, holding his voice as stable as he could. Epsilon smiled at him with a smirk that would have made the greediest thief ashamed.

"Oh, I'm sure you did. And I'm sure that if Thor doesn't throw tomorrows match, I'll just have to let it slip that you two spent the evening together. Alone." Epsilon said as he released Loki from his imprisonment. Loki glared at the man, wanting to chew him out with all his might, but forced the growing rage in his chest back down. He was a royal. And royals cannot act so overly emotional.

"I-I…I have to leave." Loki finally choked out.

"Pleasant day, young Loki." Epsilon replied. Loki chose not to respond, but ran to the meeting hall as fast as he could without tripping on his hem.

When he saw Thor there with his friends, he almost blurted out the Epsilon episode, but stopped himself as the false Odin motioned for him to come to the head table. Thor looked at Loki sorrowfully, wishing that he could sit with them. They were all starting to miss the prankster.

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><p>The jousting tournament was going as expected- with Thor and his friends tearing through the competition. Epsilon was doing well until he met Hogun, and somehow (Loki couldn't even figure this one out) managed to overthrow the grim man. Hogun was well trained, and well respected in the jousting arena. So to see the grim man fall from his horse was a shock to say the least.<p>

The entire stadium lifted in joyous applause as Epsilon bowed to them. Hogun had to be assisted off the field by Sif and Fandral, much to his personal humiliation. Thor could only look to Loki, who stared back in confusion and frustration. He wanted to tell the thunderer everything, but risked setting the entire ordeal into a downward spiral. All of this was weighing on him in the most unimaginable way available. He couldn't even gather the will to cause mischief under this stress, and his chest hurt because of the whole confounded mess. Oh what he'd give to be back in his bed, hiding under the covers until tomorrow. Even with the rain chilled wind cooling his body, his head seemed to be on fire. And since Amora seemed to take pleasure in making sure he was under her thumb, he couldn't even get up to go to the bathroom!

Loki's attention was pulled away from his inner dark musings as one of the Frost giants blew him a kiss. Loki felt the bile rising from his stomach, but swallowed it as he waved a polite, forced wave back to the competitor. It was tradition for the royals to encourage every competitor to do well, so it wasn't like he could refuse without risking a stern lecture later from his tutors, brother, and parents (when they were rescued). Days like this, Loki just hated to be royalty. The one day that everyone was watching him like a pack of hungry wolves, and he couldn't even excuse himself to take a leak. The frustration was going to kill him before anyone at this tournament had a chance.

Out of the corner of his eye, Loki saw Thor grip his hammer tightly. Well, at least someone was on his side.

The Frost giant, Hutir, climbed atop his mount and prepared to charge. After removing his suddenly too hot cloak, Loki jumped as the large white bear roared as it pushed against the wind. Loki could only admire such a creature of beauty and power. Those teeth must have ripped apart many men before having a bit forced into its mouth. What a shame to see such a beautiful creature controlled and bound by a brute who barely understood its nature.

Loki saw a bit of himself in the creature. When he was younger, he believed that he would be allowed to travel where ever he wanted after Thor was married. He thought he wouldn't have to respond to any orders or attend any functions when Thor took the throne. Now, he had to look towards feeling the invisible chain around his neck. Part of him felt like he should be happy about finally getting a throne, but he silently suffered the thought of never having the respect of his realm like Frigga, Odin and Thor had. He also felt his freedom dwindling at his finger tips. Questions about what he would and wouldn't be allowed to do flittered through his head at lightning speed, causing his ears to beat like war drums and his mind to dizzy.

"What is wrong, my son?" The fake Frigga asked as he felt a cold hand on his back. He must have leaned over when he was musing to himself. His head hurt so badly, he couldn't stand it. He felt himself slump forward, barely registering the cries of the crowd and the guards yelling his name before the darkness hit.


	19. Battle in the mine

Winners! Reviews: Arch-Nemesis, Nocten, Shadow's blood 3288, Darkmysteries, Watermelondrea, EnternalFireWithin007, AAderpette, The Ash Tree 3, -Guest 1-, La Ange Noire, Hana13, Scavenger's Daughter2, Karinnaa, YoDogs102, chevalier-elyam, animehime20, and snowonia22! 1,000,000 cybercookies each!

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DA warnings: Yaoi, slash, cute fluff, and Loki being a bit of an ass. Enjoy~

Please read and review politely!

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><p>Loki awoke in his bedchambers, wrapped thoroughly in his thick blankets and furs. He could barely move without undoing the covers, but managed to wriggle out of the mess of fabric while his muscles spasmed in reluctant exhaustion. Dizziness hit him like a ram, forcing him to lie back down on the bed and hold his blanket warmed hands against his eyes to deter the small amount of light the spilled into the room from the windows. He willed the splitting headache away with a few carefully chosen words before he forced his torso back up. A quick survey detected that no soul had decided to annoy him in his time of embarrassment.<p>

Part of him couldn't believe that he had fainted while the tournament was still progressing. They certainly wouldn't have canceled the remaining jousting matches because of one fainting incident. Redoing all the previous matches would have given competitors an unfair edge against their opponents, and could turn the tides in the cheaters favor. The last thing the house of Odin needed right now was the competition cheating. Thor and Loki would have been able to handle this with level heads and stern shoulders in the previous years, but with the hormone surges clearly interrupting his mind and body, Loki couldn't fight this battle alone. And as the possible prize in this tournament, he couldn't interfere with the competition. That was Odin or Frigga's job, so the false royals wouldn't have even dared go against their puppeted programming.

Amora was smart, but Loki's mind was the most devious and dangerous in Asgard by far. Since she wanted to play hard ball, he would play her game. Opportunity was rarely shunned when available, so Loki would capitalize on this rather 'unfortunate' development.

A wave of his hand and a double lay in his bed, wrapped in the same blankets that had held him captive less than five minutes ago. He gathered his darkest robes and sloughed his nightwear, not bothering to question who had dressed him in his incapacitated state. Dressing quickly, he grabbed his best staff and carefully opened his secret passageway. As soon as he'd wedged himself comfortably inside the tube, he reached back to close the doorway so no one would suspect a thing. Even Amora didn't have eyes in the back of her head, and keeping a magic eye on his room was by far harder than keeping someone captive. He'd made sure to block all spells from his room with counter curses years ago, more out of paranoia than fear. The only person to venture into his room was Thor, and Loki didn't want to hurt the buffoon while his parents were still around. He might enjoy picking on the man, but Thor was still the crown prince of Asgard, and the consequences for harming him were hefty. Despite the blockhead's armored head, Thor wasn't invincible. A well placed spell would guarantee a trip to the dungeons or a mucking of the stables for Loki.

He slid to the bottom of the slide, using his feet to slow himself as he neared the bottom. He managed to stop his descent as he waited to exit the slide in the closet. It was hidden behind two large, heavy cooling water barrels under an illusion spell, so no one had stumbled upon him using his fun little Midgardian invention. He exited the tube as he pulled his cloak's hood over his head, making sure that no one was prancing down the hallway when he exited. Judging by the echoing laughter reverberating through the halls, the warriors were celebrating their victories by feasting on some poor hog or deer that had wandered into Asgard's royal forest. That would give Loki a good while to find Amora's hideout and blow the roof off her little ruse.

A surge of hormones decided to raise its ugly head as he rounded the corner. He was forced to stop for just a moment before he felt a warm hand ghost its way to his shoulder. Jumping back, Loki landed roughly on the stone floor with a loud thump. He gazed up to the mysterious person who had interrupted his flaring surge of unwelcomed proteins. Sif stood there, sympathy evident on her clean façade.

"Sorry." She apologized, fearing he'd hurt himself when he'd landed. Loki offered a genuine smile when he saw her, and took a polite hand to help him up. His intestines seemed to spin and twist in the most painful ways imaginable, treating his belly like a serpents nest. His hands pressed against his abdomen as hard as he could, trying to ease the pain. He was getting nauseous again, and he felt Sif's hands pulling him upwards. He must have toppled over in his fit.

"Loki, you should be in bed." Sif insisted. He could tell she had his best intentions at hand, but he couldn't rest now. He had work to do, and he could rest much better after the sun set.

"No. Sif, I need your help." Loki replied, forcing his tired and aching body back up.

"The only assistance you need from me is back to your room. You aren't well, Loki." Sif ordered as she started to push him back towards the stairwell. Loki pushed back against her, grabbing her armor for support as his legs trembled from the exhaustion. Once he was done with this madness, Loki swore he'd not only leave Thor wanting every day he had a chance, but he'd look forward to becoming traveling alone for months at a time. This was too humiliating.

"No. Please, Sif. I need to find my parents. I can't keep this tournament up without Odin and Frigga here." Loki did his best to address her with sincere politeness. She was one of the only people he could trust right now, and she was the one who led Fandral and the guards to-

"Loki?" Sif asked as his hand reached up to her shoulder to pull himself up more.

"Sif, what happened with Amora?" Loki asked, reminding himself that he'd forgotten to inquire yesterday while he was battling dizzy spells and Epsilon's unwelcomed advances.

"She's captured Volstagg, but the good news is she's still in the mines. We can corner her later tonight with the guards help." Sif replied. Loki shook his head roughly.

"No, I want to go now. I have a double standing in for me, so that should give us three hours at best. I can't depend on my magic holding out right now." Loki replied, wiping a dribble of sweat from his forehead. He couldn't hold out for long at this rate. Sif handed him a scrap of fabric to wipe his face.

"You look terrible, Loki. Perhaps we should wait for your health." Sif insisted, trying her best to keep him here. His skin was at least four shades redder than usual thanks to his fever, and it worried her. Even if she took him with them, he might not make it to the mines conscious.

"Can't do that. We leave in ten minutes. I can get the horses ready if you can grab Fandral." Loki replied as he pushed himself towards the empty doorway. Sif reached out a hand to stop him, but realized that if Loki's determination was anything like Thor's, it would only cause her to lose her breathe and time. She turned on a heel and headed straight for the grand hall to grab Fandral.

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><p>Loki reached the stables in a few minutes, and with a quick wave of his fingers, the horses tack flew off the walls and strapped itself onto the respectful beasts of burden. Sif horse whined and stomped his foot once to protest, only to receive a carrot for his trouble. Fandral's horse only glanced at the flying materials for a moment before returning to his hay. Loki's beloved mount, a dark brown mare with matching eyes who could easily best most of the stallions in Asgard on hoof, neighed as Loki approached her. She nuzzled his face, feeling the heated flesh burning underneath her nostrils. She gave an affectionate lick to his skin, much like she had treated her own foal earlier this year before he was weaned. Loki patted her neck gently, trying to assure her that he was in decent shape to travel.<p>

"Hello Ico." He muttered as he rested his head against her cooler coat. She placed her head against his back and pulled him closer to her, rubbing his back as gently as she could while trying to pull the cloak from his back. Leave it to a horse to insist that he was too warm.

"I missed you too." Loki said as he gripped the saddle, ready to pull himself up when his muscles caught up to his mind. He could feel the exhaustion trying to drown him in darkness again, but fought against it with all his strength. This shouldn't be such a daunting task, but his current state was forcing him to slow unnaturally. Accursed problems.

"Loki!" Sif whispered as she and Fandral rounded the corner, both with their riding cloaks on and hoods up. The fewer people that saw them, the better.

"Ready for this?" He replied as he hauled his unusually heavy body onto Ico's back. Unseen glances passed between the two warriors, but Fandral waved it off as he grabbed his stead and mounted quickly.

"I take it Hogun won't be joining us?" Loki inquired as he steered Ico towards the open barn door.

"He's still sore, and the healers said he tore a ligament when he lost today." Fandral replied curtly.

"Ouch, talk about adding injury to insult." Loki winced as he thought about the pain he must be feeling. Hogun was a proud figure, albeit a quiet one. He took hours every day to master his technique, so being defeated by Epsilon was just humiliating. Loki felt a bit of guilt wash over him at the thought of Epsilon cheating with Amora's magic. If Loki knew both of the offenders, they would do anything to win. Amora was one of the most skilled sorcerers in Asgard, and bewitching Epsilon so he wouldn't be caught cheating was child's play to her.

"He will recover. Certainly each of us has had our shameful defeats!" Fandral chortled as he nudged Loki's shoulder. If Loki wasn't adamantly sure that Fandral was straight as Orion's arrow, he could have sworn that the blonde man was donning the smile he reserved for the young maidens of the realm towards him. Loki ignored and focused more on sitting straight up on his horse rather than allowing himself to slump forward when his spine retaliated against him.

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><p>The rest of the ride was spent between silence in the populated areas of the city and speaking about the tournament. Loki was trying his best to keep his energy up, but faced the cold fact that he should have at least grabbed some food before they left the palace. His stomach rolled and rumbled like an earthquake, protesting being empty of nothing but acid and bile.<p>

"Ready for this?" Sif asked as she dismounted and tied her horse to a tree. Fandral did the same, but turned to catch the falling Loki, who was overcome by a dizzy spell. He personally swore as soon as this whole embarrassment of hormonally induced feebleness was done, he would consult the healers about removing all of the causes from his body.

"Damn…" Loki growled as he gripped Fandral's cloak, barely able to contain his rage as Fandral set him against a tree.

"Loki, please, you should rest. You are not well." Sif commanded as she checked her weapons.

"No. I need to do this. I'm not a swooning maid." Loki said as he placed a hand on the base of the tree and pushed upwards to gain purchase on his legs. He ignored the quivering in his legs, but noted that the dashing man was at his side in a moment, holding him up. Loki wanted to shove him away and curse him for this, but decided not to as he slipped downwards again. Treacherous legs- how dare they refuse to work now of all times?

"Alright, but one condition." Sif sighed. Loki looked to her. "Let Ico carry you. It's not a deep mine, and there's plenty of room for a horse to walk or run comfortably. If all else fails, you can run while we hold them off. Everyone will notice if you go missing from the tournament." Sif ordered. Loki felt the need to glare at her, but wished it away as he released a heavy sigh. He couldn't argue with that logic. The realm would be in a tizzy if he vanished without anyone knowing, and chances were Amora's spell would be broken as well. If that happened, the kingdom would be left to Thor's currently incapable hands. Loki could see it now- Thor sitting on the throne, either striking or electrocuting each person that came to him with an inquiry. War with all of the nine realms, famine, drought, and chaos in every direction available- all brought by an inexperienced king atop an unearned throne. Loki would have been proud of his brainless brother. He could try for thousands of years and never achieve such a level of insanity.

"Agreed." Loki consented as he allowed Fandral to haul his dizzied body back onto his faithful steed. Ico welcomed his weight, neighing in approval as she swished her tail.

The trio padded their way into the mine, ready for the fight.

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><p>Amora was resting her feet on her lounge when she saw unexpected shadows entering her lair. This mine had been abandoned years ago when the men thought it was devoid of any remaining minerals and precious metals, so no one should be treading here until Epsilon's next visit.<p>

"Who goes there?" Amora demanded, gathering a small ball of explosive energy in her hand, ready to shoot when the invaders came into sight. The shadows of her invasive guests came into her sight as she launched her tiny bomb. She watched as the explosion took out half of the entryway, surely weakening the structure, but she could deal with that later.

"Still a bad shot, I see." Loki's saccharine voice came from behind the crumbling doorway. A frustrated growl emerged from the room, but Loki didn't even bother to laugh. His sore chest and lungs were making breathing hard, so laughter was out of the question.

"Curse you, Loki!" Amora snarled as she launched another ball of energy towards the trio's location. Loki smirked a little, ignoring Ico's frantic nudging against his arm.

"What's wrong, Amora? Did you really think I wouldn't see through your cheap trick?" Loki called back as Sif and Fandral raised their blades, ready to attack when Loki managed to stop her long enough.

"You spoiled brat! Odin should have left you where he found you!" Amora roared, sending another blast of energy into the crumbling doorway. The shatter supports gave out as the stone came tumbling down, creating a dusty cloud as it landed. Fandral and Sif jumped into the room, barely dodging the remaining stone pieces that toppled and fell to their sides. Thankful that the mine was still intact, Loki pushed Ico back slightly as he allowed the two more energetic of the trio to restrain Amora. When he rounded the corner, he was relieved to see the Temptress held tight in magic rope he'd given Sif. He wouldn't have to expend what little energy he had left to hold the sorceress. The dizziness was already coming back, and he wasn't certain if he could stay conscious this round. A quick glance to the side of the nearly destroyed chamber showed five magic holding columns. Odin, Frigga, Volstagg, and two guards that normally guarded the Allfather's chambers were all safe and sound in the deep green energy.

"Release them." Loki ordered, his voice weakening from uncoordinated nausea. Sif took a moment to offer him a worried glare, but pulled it back as Amora started to struggle fruitlessly against the rope.

"No!" She barked. Loki sighed as he felt his head spinning, but stabilized himself on Ico's warm body.

"Why have you done this?" Sif growled at the blonde sorceress.

"Thor is my prince! My beloved! He deserves to be with me! Not the frost giant whore!" Amora cried, her voice trembling with rage.

"Then clearly you cannot see what the rest of us see." Sif stabbed.

"What? That Thor is only concerned with his rear?! He's been bewitched by the frost giant harlot! Certainly you can see this, _Lady_ Sif!" Amora combated against the maiden's logic.

"I have done nothing to bewitch Thor. His love is his own to give, and his own to take." Loki replied, his strength waning faster than he expected. His heart was painfully sore at the thought of Thor's love being nothing more than a hormone induced lust fest certain to end as soon as Thor bedded Loki. He knew he shouldn't be so possessive of the man, but Thor was the only person who ever believed that Loki was more than a prankster. Loki had grown unexpectedly attached to the man, and found himself genuinely craving the love that Thor radiated every second.

"Oh! Like I'd believe such words from the Liesmith himself!" Amora retorted.

"Believe what you will, horrid wench." Sif said as she lifted her blade to Amora's neck.

"Now, be a good girl and release the Allfather, Allmother, and guards; or we'll have to bring you to the royal court and wreak havoc across the entire tournament." Fandral soothed as he adjusted his hair.

"Never!" Amora insisted.

"Perhaps Thor will want to know why the Allfather and Allmother are in your clutches?" Loki tempted. Fear flashed across Amora's face as she weighed her options. After a moment of determining what the best path would be, she decided Epsilon's victory wasn't worth the loss of Thor.

"Fine…" Amora relented, raising a tiny, well kempt finger and shooting a small beam of energy from the tip. The tubes quickly dissolved as the five captives landed with a sickening thud on the ground. Odin groaned as he raised a hand to his forehead, easing the splitting headache.

"Your sentence won't be as heavy since you cooperated." Loki noted dully as his legs gave out. He heard Ico neigh as two strong, soft hands gripped him as he slumped downwards. His eyelids refused to move as he groaned in pain.

"And it seems it is time to take you home, Loki." Came Sif's steady voice. Loki had no arguments as he felt himself loaded onto Ico's back while Fandral secured Amora to one of the horses left at the mouth of the cave, only a few feet from the battle ground in the mine. Consciousness left him once more as he saw Frigga emerging leaving the cave, a small smile painted on her face.

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><p>Review please? Or the kittens will keep crying.<p> 


	20. Wake up to what?

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Me no own, and I make no money off this. It's purely for entertainment.

Updates until the end of the year will be farther between (more towards the idea of 3 weeks instead of 2) because my schedule is very busy right now.

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><p>Loki could tell this was getting tiring. Another morning of waking up to what appeared to be a raging fever and body aches left the young prince wondering if the gentry would miss him for the day's festivities. Oh, what he would give to just stay nestled in his warm blankets and breezy room, and not having to hear the hustle and bustle of the lower halls while his head played holiday drum songs through his ears. He rolled over, wrapping himself into a cocoon of fabric and quilt fluff. His muscles were stiff and his body burned for the tiniest relief from the heat. He knew it was brought on by his insistence of joining the group yesterday, but there was nothing he could have done to reverse that. Perhaps this act of self sacrifice would allow Odin's a bit more leniency when accepting the Frost Giant to the equal throne of Asgard.<p>

Odin, while usually fair, had clearly been uncomfortable when Loki and Thor had announced their plans to wed. Perhaps he'd forgotten that the Frost Giants had no defined gender, and could bear children despite their Asgardian labeling, but Loki still felt the unwanted depression of rejection wash over his small frame. He hid it well, but Thor display of aggression sent Loki's hormones flaring. The animalistic growl and lecture Thor roared at his father was enough to make Loki's bearing bits twist and clench in ecstasy.

Loki, despite what many of his tormentors from the commoners section would believe, wasn't interested in the throne. He'd developed an odd need to feel like he had control of the world around him, but the throne was nothing more than a consolation prize on this round. His manly side of his brain provided that power was key to getting anything he wanted, so the throne and Thor's marriage was his track to the easier life. But the recently developed feminine side of his mind provided that marriage would give him constant love and protection he sought. He had to agree with the oddly idealist side of his mind, love seemed a far better prospect than just power. If the old fairy tales meant anything towards life lessons, then certainly love was the best prize at the end of an ordeal, and power generally left people corrupted and cruel, consumed by their own greed. Loki had seen that side of himself rise and fall too many times to allow it to ruin his life again.

He heard his door creak open and quickly close. Brisk footsteps graced the stone floor, while a deep gait thundered its way toward his bed. Loki couldn't force his glued eyelids open, but the familiar radiating warmth of Thor settled in the air next to the bed. He heard the clink of his bedside metal pitcher against a cup and the pouring of fluid, what he assumed was water. A moment of grand battle with his eyes and Loki finally pried them open slowly to see the blurred figure of his brother at his side.

"If you dare to get out of that bed, I'll tie you to it myself." Thor said as his now solidifying form took a seat next to Loki's head. The second prince noticed that all of his armor was missing, which was unsettling for a warrior who was supposed to be in a tournament.

"Mupf muf muf" Loki garbled through his blankets. Thor released a small smirk as he reached behind Loki's head to push his large arm around the black haired man's shoulders. A gentle push up and Loki was sitting up and leaning against the larger man's chest for support. He hadn't realized his back was going to give out on him when he was pulled upwards, but a firm yet gentle grip from Thor kept him planted.

"Mother and Father are punishing Amora. She made quite a scene when Sif and Fandral returned with you. The entire palace knows what happened, but thankfully Odin is handling it from his bedside." Thor said as he carefully tipped the glass into Loki's mouth. Loki swallowed slowly, trying his best not to choke on the fluid against his dry throat.

"I take it the tournament's being postponed?" Loki sadly stated. He was trying so hard not to cause so much trouble, but apparently it failed.

"Fortunately for some, and unfortunate for us. As expected, the other realms are in a tizzy. Some are calling for war, but Odin's dispelling them." Thor replied, wiping his brother's face free of any remaining water dribbles.

"How long have I've been out?" Loki asked as he tried to push himself upwards, failing as his overly tired arms gave out and he fell back into the muscular man's chest. Thor chuckled as he lifted the younger man back into the bed, covering him gently.

"A clear day and a half. It's afternoon, dear brother." Thor said as he wrapped the heavy blankets around Loki's legs again. The trickster could feel the rush of hormones rising again, causing aches and pains throughout his arms and legs. He suddenly noticed Thor's tense actions and heavy, wanting breathing.

"Thor…" Loki whispered, trying to plan his next move appropriately.

"Yes, my Loki?" Thor replied as he ran a single hand through the sweat slicked and tussled black mane.

"You should go. You shouldn't be near me alone like this." Lokie gasped, his throat too hot to speak and too dry to swallow properly.

"It's alright. I can't do anything while he's here." Thor replied. Loki stared at the man for a moment, confusion glazing his eyes. Pushing himself up again, he noted the familiar black wolf from his father's throne. Its golden eyes were fixated on the overly hot man who nearly nauseous with the surge of hormones.

"Is that…" Loki began, his voice giving out against his will. Oh, what he would have done to have control of his magic right now. He could have gladly frozen himself just to have a tiny bit of relief from this madness!

"Yes. Freki decided to follow me today. He's a good old boy, isn't he?" Thor said as he patted the wolf's head, which didn't move or acknowledge the pat. He was too fixated on Loki and his current position. Odin had ordered the wolf to bite anyone who tried to touch Loki until the tournament was over, and if it hadn't been for the pig belly bribe he'd received earlier, Thor would have been on his way to the medical wing by now.

"Thor…" Loki addressed again. Thor's attention snapped back to the distressed green eyes man. Loki's sweat covered hands gripped the blankets as he tried to sit up again. Thor helped him, but only enough to allow the heat skin of Loki's shoulder to meet the cool wood of his bed. Thor wasn't able to take much more contact with the flush skinned man of his dreams. His control was breaking as it was.

"What do you need, dear Loki?" Thor pleaded, fearful that Loki might become ill all of a sudden. His cheeks looked paler than usual, which frightened the older man.

"I need- I need you to finish this tournament soon. Please Thor. I can't take much more of this." Loki said as he sent his perfect pleading puppy eyes stare straight into Thor's brilliant blue orbs.

"I will try." Thor replied, his chest stinging from guilt of making Loki suffer for so long. It would be at least three more days before the tournament was finished, assuming they got back on track this afternoon. He could see clear as day that Loki was in pain. The younger prince's muscles were trembling in his large, thick hands.

"Thor… you should go." Loki insisted. He was growing fearful of what he might do in desperation to rid himself of these wretched hormones. He was wondering how quickly he could have thrown the larger man to the bed and ravished him before the wolf jumped on them. Before his mind could wander any further, a pair of warm, thick lips pressed themselves against the beautiful heat of Loki's plump ones. Loki froze as his instincts kicked in, forced his leg to snap out and land solidly between the thunderer's legs. A yelp of pain forced its way up Thor's throat as he started to reach for the swelling organ, but a very familiar bark intercepted his ears as he felt the hard fangs of Freki sink into his backside.

"GAHHHHH!" Thor roared as he tried to make amends to both sore sides of his body. Freki wouldn't release his rear, but continued to growl and bit down harder as Thor's large paws came shoving and pushing hard against the wolf's muzzle. Freki refused to release the offending man, clamping harder as Thor gripped the wolf's muzzle with one hand.

"Freki!" Loki gasped, his guts turning about half way through his sudden shift towards the pair. He didn't mean to hurt Thor, but it was more of a reflex than anything else. He'd say he felt guilty, if he wasn't so amused. Thor had taken to one knee with the wolf still thoroughly clamped to his rear, and was now panting like a hurt child after crying their eyes out.

"Release me you blast hound!" Thor growled as he tried to shake the wolf. Freki growled back, making sure the man knew he meant business.

"Guards!" Loki yelped. There was no way Freki would let go without someone else present. Two golden caped men barged into the room, spears held high in fighting positions. A glance at the so called 'danger' allowed them a breath of relief.

"Get. This. Mutt. Off. Me." Thor spoke through gritted teeth. His right hand still held the muzzle of the growling wolf while his left tended to his manly bruised bits.

"Right away, Prince Thor." One of the guards said as he grabbed the wolf's head and pulled gently while his compatriot did the same to the other side of the wolf's mouth. Freki finally released after a light tug of the tail, a command they often used with the hunting hounds when they caught a rare deer or bird that wasn't supposed to be killed.

"Thank you." Thor gasped as the first guard led the wolf away from the room and the second stayed with the pair. A healthy trickle of red fluid ran down Thor's leg as he stood up, still trying to nurse the swollen manhood with one hand. Thor immediately striped down to his undergarments, trying to see how much blood there really was.

"Go tend to your wounds, you fool." Loki chuckled as he watched Thor assess the damage to his buttocks. His red returned from his backside with patches of red sticky fluid coating the tips of his fingers. He sighed reluctantly, nodding to the guard as he pulled his pants back up. The guard took his leave to the door, but made sure the pair knew he was there by allowing his shoulder to remain in sight.

"I will return to see you later." Thor said as he reached over to press a single kiss to Loki's head. Loki smiled in return, his body too sore to do much else. Loki held a small smile on his lips until the door closed. He folded his blankets down and curled into himself without the excessive heat bathing his every breath. He could have sworn he still heard some muffled yelling downstairs, but he quickly chalked it up to warriors having an argument over who should be allowed to compete and what not.


	21. Bad Freki-Good Freki!

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><p>Loki glanced out the window after another session of personal relief to see the magic fireworks exploding over the tournament grounds. The hormone surges were getting worse, and he had demanded that no one enter his chambers until the tournament was over. His meals were being delivered by his maid, but he could stand her presence for only a few minutes before yelling at the poor old woman to leave. The moment she was outside the door, he had to resort to more thoughts of Thor on top of him, pulling his desires to the front and encouraging him into the most unbelievable contortions imaginable. He found it rather pitiful on his part that he had to resort to such primitive means of relaxation, but he didn't have much of a choice. It was either self relief or vomiting from the surges wrapping around his belly and shooting through his spine every time he moved a muscle.<p>

"Prince Loki?" Helga's voice came from outside the door. Loki chose to be quiet this time, if only to get the woman to leave that much sooner. Surely enough, the woman shot into his room, took the tray of breakfast utensils out, and left a large cart of meats, cheese, wine, vegetables, bread and fruit for lunch. Before he even had a moment of decency to thank her, she was out the door and down the hall. Loki sighed as he realized he must have come across as such a jerk to the old maid, but he would make it up to her later. The old girl needed a good vacation, and he could at least send her on one while Thor and he chose a new portion of the castle to call home and moved all of their belongings into the new rooms.

"Ugg…" Loki mumbled as he flopped his head back on the pillow before he hauled himself off the bed to fetch the necessary nourishment required for further activities. He swore, after this whole ordeal was over, he'd never endure this again. If he even felt the slightest tinkling of hormones raging against his will, he'd find Thor and get him to deal with it. He was the God of Mischief for Odin's sake! And now, reduced to the most carnal pleasures of his own hands (and chaffing horribly)- Loki thought he'd become nothing more than a bed thrall.

He grabbed a loaf of bread and a plate of meat and cheese, stuffing part of the loaf in his mouth and biting it like a dog. He stuffed it down as he padded his way back to the bed, plopping his still nude ass back on the plush surface. He placed the loaf down and picked up a large piece of cheese, stuffing it down with the vigor of a starving man. He managed to eat the whole plate of meat and part of the bread before shoving himself off the bed again to retrieve another plate. Minutes passed after he resorted to rolling the cart over to his bed.

"I feel like a pig" Loki admitted to himself after tossing the last plate onto the empty cart. He couldn't believe that Thor hadn't helped him in consuming the entire cart worth of food. Quick footsteps repelled off the walls of his hallway, forcing Loki to snap out of his trance and grab his nearest set of pants. Just as he managed to get his button in place, the heavy wooden door flew open and Thor stood there, panting with a look of pure elation plastered on his bright cheeks.

"Brother! I placed into the finals!" Thor announced as he ran forward to embrace his brother. Freki was right behind him, growling in warning. Thor released the ruffled Loki and pressed a small kiss on his forehead.

"That's wonderful news brother, but unless you can speed up time and hurry tomorrow into today, I suggest you don't manipulate my front any further." Loki replied as he pushed Thor a good arms length away.

"Oh, Loki, father says he requires you to speak tonight for the final round." Thor announced as he released the sweet sorcerer, who gladly grabbed a glass of water, partially froze it, and then dumped it on his chest. The tiny bit of frozen relaxation the act allowed was well received, cooling Loki's nether region to a tolerable smolder. Thor couldn't take his eyes away from the soaked sorcerer. Loki's pale skin dissolved into bright blue flesh where the water had splattered. Loki himself didn't realized his skin was showing until Thor's greedy stare drew his attention to his belly, where the blue was spreading slowly and quietly across the plane of his stomach.

"See something you like?" Loki asked grimly as he turned away from the ocean blue orbs and towards his closet. He had to wear something if he was going to endure the torment of being around so many unintended people at once. He hoped that Odin had some idea of what to do about the whole situation, but knew there was nothing to help him for now. He was beginning to regret suggesting a tournament to the Allfather. After all, he hated tournaments in the first place.

"No- I-I mean- Yes- I mean- I shoul-" Thor's fumbling words were stopped by Loki's slender fingertips. The look in the emerald spheres was enough to make a eunuch fall at the second Prince's feet.

"Thor." Loki announced, his word careful and pronounced.

"Yes?" Thor replied through the fingeres, his voice giving his insecurity away.

"You should be at the feast. I will be there shortly." Loki replied curtly. He quickly turned back to his wardrobe to grab his third finest tunic. Thor waited for a moment, taking in the sight of his brother's body returning to its normal coloration before the forest green tunic covered the sparse skin.

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><p>Odin and Frigga didn't expect Loki to arrive so early on in the feast, but were glad to see the magically inclined prince take his position at the head of the hall. There were still catcalls and drunken declarations of love thrown the prince's way, much to a very withheld Thor's dismay. Hogun and Sif were holding the man to his seat while Volstagg was stuffing his face full of meat and mead. Fandral was nowhere to be found, but Loki recalled that he was supposed to be in the semifinals today. Most likely, he met once of the Frost Giants in battle and failed to defeat him.<p>

"Are you well enough, my son?" Frigga inquired as she reached his forehead to feel the moderate fever that burned there. Loki smiled at her and nodded, knowing that unless he fainted, there was no way out of this ordeal.

"I am fine enough, mother." Loki said as he reached for the coldest goblet he could find and started to guzzle it. The cold seemed to help a little, but unless he was bathing in it, nothing could quell his lust.

"This will be over shortly. Your father knows you shouldn't be forced to try this for so long." Frigga replied, sneaking a large chuck of ice into Loki's hand. He smiled at her for such a gesture, and silently promised that he wouldn't play any pranks tonight to alter the victory of tomorrow. He had planned to release a bag of rats he'd found in the dungeons a while back, but the thought seemed low key even for him.

"I take it you are in good health, my prince?" An unwelcomed voice came from behind Loki's shoulder. Loki twisted his head slowly to see Epsilon standing at his side, holding a goblet of wine.

"Yes, fair Captain. I just haven't been feeling well these days." Loki replied, trying to hold his inner disgust of the man to himself. Frigga and Odin adored Epsilon, but the recent revelations from Amora had made them extremely suspicious of him. Apparently, despite the best attempts at protecting them, Loki's warnings went unheeded by the royal mother and father.

"Captain Epsilon said that he and Thor took wonderful care of you while we were imprisoned. He's such an amazing man, Loki." Frigga added in. Surely enough, Loki could feel the shiver of repulsion run its course up his back.

"Thank you, my dear queen. And might I say, you look stunning tonight." Epsilon said as he took her hand in his large paw and offered it a small kiss. Loki swore he could feel the vomit rising in his throat.

"Oh, Captain! You are a flatterer!" Frigga replied as she bid him farewell with a push of the hand. His golden gaze turned to Loki again, leaving the prince feeling as vulnerable as a deer carcass to a roaming bear.

"I hope you'll be cheering for me tomorrow, dear Loki." Epsilon said as he raised Loki's hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to the fingertips as he drew the prince to his last tolerable stance.

"Of course, Captain." Loki replied robotically. He would be damned before he relinquished the tiniest cheer for the Captain in this tournament. He'd rather tear out his own vocal cords and stomp on them before he'd ever cheer for that monster!

Epsilon took Loki's awkward shoulder position as the means to leave. Odin stood to address the crowd as Epsilon took his seat next to his defeated compatriots and the other off duty guards.

"I thank all of you for coming to this tournament and fighting for my son's hand. Tomorrow marks the last day of this fair tournament, and to the four finalists, I wish the best of luck! Captain Epsilon!" Epsilon stood and waved to the cheering crowd.

"Prince Helbindi!" A large Frost Giant stood and waved at the cheering dwarves, dark elves, and a few very drunk Asgardians that had cheered for Epsilon.

"Marburk!" A dwarf stood this time, waving to many more cheers.

"And Prince Thor!" The entire hall erupted in applause, making the building tremble in vibrating cheers. Thor was more than happy to raise Mjolnir in the air as he stood, which gained even more earthquake worthy raucous. Loki's headache returned after the first round of applause, but by the time Thor was receiving cheers, Loki was ready to paint the floor a new shade of avocado green.

"And now, my son Loki would like to wish all the competitors good luck in tomorrow's event." Odin finished as Loki forced himself to rise, leaving the comfort of the ice block against his lap.

"I would like to thank all of the competitors for competing, and wish you all the best luck in your future journeys. To the four remaining warriors, I hope to see you at your finest tomorrow." Loki automatically said, his royal training kicking in to not show favoritism or malice towards any of the competitors. The last thing they needed at this late hour of the game was one of the kingdoms throwing a fit over Loki helping Thor or Epsilon in the tournament.

"And with that, please feast, make merry and prepare for the final round tomorrow!" Odin bid them all to continue their drinking and jests of power. Loki could feel another surge of hormones striking through his system, making his body tense with frustrating heat and threadbare restraint. He reached over to his goblet and captured the chalice in his pale, feverish hands, taking a large swig of the fluid within. He swallowed before he realized that it was not his goblet that he had drunk from, but the golden chalice Epsilon was holding not moments before. A glance to the Captain revealed a devilish look, laced with sickening desire and potential for mischief. Loki's eyes darted around, looking for an escape from this personal hell.

"Mother," Loki began, grabbing Frigga's attention. The Queen whirled around and smiled at her son.

"Yes, Loki?" Frigga inquired briefly.

"May I be excused? I am not feeling well." Loki implored, his eyes pleading against his will. His skin was starting to sweat, and he feared if this continued, his façade as the proper second prince of Asgard would fall harder than the battle of Jur.

"Of course, my son. Would you like a maid to escort you back to your rooms?" Frigga asked. Security had been doubled since the abduction, but none of the guards could be spared or trusted for such a menial task. Though typically loyal, Odin and Frigga feared that any man left alone with Loki would gladly take advantage of him in this prolonged state of heat.

"I would be glad to assist him, my Queen." Epsilon offered as he approached the table. Frigga smiled at the kind Captain, but Loki swore that if the entire hall wasn't filled to the brim with drunk, volatile imbeciles, he would have gladly stabbed his salad fork straight through Epsilon's chest plate and into the void where his heart used to be.

"Thank you, Captain. Loki, let Captain Epsilon take you to your room." Frigga ordered. Not wanting to cause a scene while he was this vulnerable, Loki nodded curtly and rose from his seat. Epsilon's hand found its way behind his back and guided him towards the door, refusing any drunkard from falling at the prince's feet. When they were half way up the stairs, their silent journey stopped when Epsilon's hand corralled the young prince between its sibling and the wall.

"I think we need to have a little talk." Epsilon hushed against Loki's ear. Loki shook his head, afraid to open his mouth with the bile rising in the back of his throat.

"There's nothing to talk about. Please, I do not feel well." Loki tried to remain civil, but still wished this buffoon would take the hint and let him go.

"Oh, but there is. You almost succeeded in getting me thrown out of the tournament. Now, why would you do that, fair Loki?" Epsilon inquired as his dominant hand rose to Loki's chin, forcing the sorcerer to lift his head and meet the Captain's eyes.

"Because, you chose to enlist Amora and stole my parents to cheat in the tournament. Your penance is your own, but apparently you managed to evade that." Loki said as Epsilon held him tightly to the wall. Loki felt his nether region flaring, the hormones raging against his dying restraint.

"Amora could have said 'no' whenever she wished, but she wanted the throne. But you seem to be having a bit of" Epsilon's knee met Loki's crotch, drawing a small keen out of the prince as he wrestled against the larger form of the Asgardian Captain. "Trouble?"

"Get off-!" Loki growled, trying his best to fight the man.

"Oh, but you let Thor do this to you, did you not?" Epsilon whispered into the young prince's ear. Loki struggled against the bulk of the larger man, futility kicking out without success.

"Thor did nothing like this to me!" Loki gasped as he struggled against the larger man.

"But he touched you, and it should be fair for all competitors to touch the prize if one does." Epsilon suggested. Loki froze, realizing that according to the rules, Epsilon was correct. Since Thor was allowed to touch him, all other competitors had to have the same rights.

"Please, Captain, I need to leave." Loki begged. Epsilon smirked down at his captive.

"But then I won't be able to help you get that mixture out of your system." Epsilon said.

"Mixture? What did you poison me with?" Loki barked, gripping the larger man's golden cloak as he fought for purchase.

"Oh, I would never poison you, dear Loki. But you'd be surprised what a bit of cocoa extract and bilgesnipe fat will do for your 'condition'." Epsilon tossed out. Loki realized that the aphrodisiac would send his system into a tizzy in less than half an hour. Epsilon must have grown a brain and looked up Frost Giant's and how to mess with the internal system. Loki's feet crumbled beneath him as Epsilon's strong hands caught him in an iron clad embrace.

"Please, stop." Loki roared, his typical straight forward sense of action dissolving with the panicking clenching of his chest. Epsilon chuckled against the young prince's ear.

"Don't worry. I won't violate you." Epsilon said as he lifted the young prince into his arms and carried him the last few steps to his chambers. He nodded to the guards at the entrance, who allowed them into the rooms without questioned, but insisted the door remain open.

"What are you doing?" Loki asked, his mind clouded and painfully straining for any sense to restore itself to a decent heightened alert.

"Nothing you will regret." Epsilon said as he laid the prince on the bed, his hand slipping down to divest his feet of the formal boots his parents had made for him. Next came the emerald cape he was so fond of wearing, tossed to the side like a dirtied handkerchief. His shirt remained on, but his belt was loosened as Epsilon palmed the prince's belly. Loki cried out with a small keening yelp.

Large paws beat a path down the hallway, hastening as they heard their treasure cry out in such a low tone, no Asgardian ears would have heard it. Freki jumped around the two guards and into Loki's room. A momentary glance at the bed and Freki's nose went off like an alarm. The scent of spilled seed and Loki's cries were enough to propel the wolf's fangs directly into Epsilon's presented rear.

"GAHHH!" The Captain screamed as Freki growled and bit down harder. Epsilon launched himself off Loki's form and to the door of the room, dislodging the ferocious wolf from his backside as he spun off the bed.

"Freki?" Loki asked, receiving a gruff bark as affirmation of the wolf's presence.

"That mutt is crazy!" Epsilon cried as he limped out of the room. The guards looked inside to see a disheveled Loki and a still enraged Freki guarding the green eyed prince.

"Prince Loki? Are you alright?" One of the guards asked. Loki nodded briskly, his head aching as he tried to cover himself. He motioned for the guards to shut the door to his chambers, so he could be alone with the wolf.

"Thank you, Freki." Loki said as the wolf climbed onto the bedding, resting his muzzle beside the young prince's head and giving him a small kiss. Loki smiled at the wolf, reminding him of the young pup he'd found some years back. A tiny, black wolf puppy with a white mask on his face found on an odd hunting trip, who eventually became known as Fenrir. Last Loki heard of him, he was guarding the southern fields sheep.

Loki delved a hand into the thick fur and petted the wolf a few times before sleep over took him.


	22. Is that what they talk about in the bath

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I'll just leave this here. Please enjoy. Me no own. I make no money off this.

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><p>Loki could hear the roar of the crowd from his room, where the bed was kind and the air stream was gently brushing his hair from his sweaty face. He was still too sore to move, and thankfully, the healers had found some Jotun painkillers that kicked down the raging pain for a few hours with each dose. The only side effects that Loki could feel were an intense exhausted feeling tickling his body off and on, and the occasional delirious dream that danced its way into Loki's brain like a tap-dancing moose with a top hat on.<p>

One of the said dreams was slipping away to the side of Loki's brain as he awoke to cheers and cries of happiness pouring from the stadium. This one involved a bilgesnipe breeding farm where he enjoyed his monthly dessert of frozen milk and sweet berries at the far pasture being overrun with hoards of Midgard monkeys, who stole his dessert and threw sticky, dark substances at anyone who was misfortunate enough to approach them. Loki wondered what the oddly saccharine substance was, but he awoke before he could find out.

He moaned as he turned over in his thick blankets, his muscles begging for a reason to the torturous move. He nestled himself into the pile of pillows the maids had thrown around his bed at Thor's request. He vaguely remembered the conversation revolving around the idea of Loki falling out of bed in his fatigued state, but Loki himself had no say in what happened to his room. Therefore, he had the pleasure of waking to a nest like construct of pillows, blankets, and one very loyal wolf. Freki hadn't left the young prince's side since the royals had left that morning, and Loki was just glad to have company that wouldn't attempt to hump him the moment he sat up.

Another loud cheer from the crowds made Loki's humming ears perk up. He wondered what had the crowds so excited, but his best guess was that one of the two preferred suitors was making some spectacle of themselves. With Thor, Loki suspected that the man was crushing some poor soul's head into his stomach. Epsilon, on the other hand, was likely showing off to the crowd while pretending to blow kisses to the Queen herself, and probably attempting to win Odin over with a grandiose show of power and strength. Loki didn't want to call the Allfather out on being easily impressed by power, but there were times where Loki could have sworn he was impressed by the simplest of fools slamming various objects around the arena.

"Prince Loki?" The maid's voice slipped into his ears. He pried his eyes open to see the kind maid who'd tolerated his outbursts over the last few days sitting by the side of his bed with a block of ice on a tray. She broke off a loose chuck and placed it in a towel, then perched the cold object on top of his head. Loki offered the best smile he to the young maid, knowing that in an hour or two, he'd be back to his cranky self. Despite his trickster ways, he hated treating others so poorly without reason. He regretted every harsh word he uttered to his family and friends, but right now he just couldn't deal with the rush of pain and hormones he felt every five minutes. His body was sore to the point of suicidal thoughts, and his brain racked with unanswered questions (despite his mentor's best attempts at explaining the occurrence to his condition). Loki kept falling into the haze of pain and nausea before he could hear the entire explanation, which left his mentor feeling rather ignored and disrespected. Loki couldn't blame the man for leaving after the first few hours to seek out better methods of pain management while his apprentice lay in his bed with his brain breeching the edge of insanity. Loki would have done the same if there was nothing to be done to help the person in question (even if his friends would say otherwise).

"Hum?" Loki moaned as he felt a spoon against his lips. The herbs from earlier were making him rather numb to the world, but he could feel his hearing turning back on. The maid's hand brushed his surprisingly sweaty hair out of his eyes, making Loki pry his weary lids open as he tried to observe the world around him. He saw the maid smiling at him first, and then Freki's big head came into view. Loki wanted to give the wolf a nice pat on the head, but his hands refused to move this time.

"Lay still, my prince. The victor is being decided as we speak. The help you need will be here soon." The maid spoke as she wiped his brow and gently patted off the seat that was accumulating on his chest. Loki found it difficult to speak, but his voice finally responded.

"Who?" He asked, the maid stared at him blankly for a moment, trying to decipher which 'who' the question was entailing. After a moment of thinking, she decided he must have remembered her name, and was asking for who was fighting.

"Only Prince Thor and Captain Epsilon remain. They had quite the shouting match this morning, and not a kind word between the two. Their respective companies needed to separate them before they brought down the entire household atop their heads. You seem to be quite the prize, my prince." The maid told Loki with the air of a wandering poet. Loki managed to smile at the woman before trying to speak again.

"How… long…" Loki gasped out, his voice barely above a rasp as the maid forced a spoon of cold fluid down his throat. He wished he could have tasted it, but his tongue must have been backing the nerve rebellion in his body. Treacherous nerves. Along with the hormones, his body must have been full of traitors just waiting for their opportunity to embarrass him in front of the entire court. For Odin's sakes, he was a man! He should be out there, fighting for a woman's hand! Not laying , waiting for his 'knight in shining armor' to sweep him off his feet. At this point, he didn't care who won, he was going to castrate them after the act. Once would be quite enough for this sorcerer. And after this whole humiliating affair was done, he had every intention of destroying Jotenheim so none of this would repeat itself on future generations. And maybe even smashing Thor's collection of trophy heads, just for fun.

"Only a few hours, my Prince. They've been at it all morning, and they must be tiring soon." The maid told him as she wiped away another stream of sweat from Loki's neck. Freki, in all of his doggish conquests, padded his way up to Loki's shoulder and rested his big head on Loki's collarbone. A wet nose to the ear and a warm tongue to the cheek later, Loki reached up and patted the wolf's head with a light touch. Freki wined and whimpered as he looked to the maid with pitiful eyes. He was growing more worried about Loki's continued silence and fluttering eyelids.

"Prince Loki?" The maid asked. Loki pried his eyes open to see her dabbing away at the sweat.

"What" Loki had to take a moment to clear his throat. "What-are…What did they fight about?" Loki panted as he tried to shove the covers off his overheating body. The maid grabbed the blankets and tossed them over the far side of the bed before grabbing the bucket of ice and carrying it to the bathtub. She ran the coldest water the faucet would offer before returned to Loki's side. Despite the fact that the younger prince had chosen to go au natural before seeking his bed, she hauled his heavy arm over her shoulders and dragged the larger being into the bathroom. The maid had to shove the young prince into the tub with a rough jerk, but it did the trick. Loki gasped in pain and surprise as the drastic temperature change slammed into his dampened nerves.

"Ah, there we are." The maid announced happily as Loki gave her the glare of a thousand years of death and dismemberment. Half of his addled brain thanked her to the high heavens for dunking him in freezing water, but the other half was furious at the sudden change of temperature.

"Gah…" Loki grunted as he pulled his legs under the cold surface of the water. It felt so amazing, he could barely stay awake. His body was relaxing, and his core temperature was cooling off.

"Now. What was your question, my prince." The maid asked as she reached for a cup from the sink, dipping it below the water and pouring it over the green eyed sorcerer's head.

"What did our Thor and Epsilon fight about this morning?" Loki asked, his eyes droopy with need for real rest.

"Thor kept saying that you were a person, not a trophy, and Epsilon seemed to think you were a prize. They kept bantering about why the other shouldn't have you until Odin put an end to their fighting with a thunderbolt. Lady Frigga was entertained by the whole act for a good moment, but let's face it, the second the word 'whore' came up in reference to you, she threw down her napkin and stormed out of the dining hall." The maid said as she kept pouring water over the prince's chest.

Loki, suddenly aware of his nudity to the young lady, covered his manhood with both hands as his mind cleared of the unwelcomed fog it had been harboring for the past few days. He now noticed that Freki had decided to join them and was currently drinking his bathtub water.

"Um, might I have a towel to cover myself." Loki asked politely. The maid had been far more kind to him than he'd expected, and he didn't want to continue exposing himself. It just wasn't right.

"Certainly, my prince. But I must say, I've seen worse." She said as she reached for a towel. "And better."

"Oh, really? And how might a kindly woman as yourself come across such knowledge of men's portions?" Loki proposed in humor. The maid gained an awkwardly arrogant smile.

"Well, when I was first hired here, I worked down at the men's baths replacing towels and soaps as needed. I can say, without a doubt, there are few better than yours in Asgard." She joked with the now smiling prince. He'd forgotten how fun it was to joke around at faceless bodies, comparing yourself to others without consequence or guilt.

"So, which ones are the biggest?" Loki jested.

"Oh, the Frost Giants by far. Thick as my arm!" She laughed as she took her seat beside him and placed the towel in the water. Loki allowed it to fall over his source of embarrassment and returned to joking with his new friend.

"And the smallest?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Can't really say. Most of the smaller ones were hidden under hair of some sort!" she giggled. Freki was now staring at the two like they'd just multiplied into amoeba like beings, head cocking in different directions as the sound of their reluctant giggles reverberated off the bathroom tiles.

"And in Asgard? Who had the largest?" Loki whispered, in hopes the guards outside wouldn't get too uncomfortable with their chortling.

"Well, that is a competition on its own! But between you and me, Prince Thor seemed to be rather well endowed."She laughed as Loki covered his eyes while a smile infected his lips.

"And Epsilon?" He inquired after fighting back a few more laughs.

"Oh, it's a tiny as my hand!" She replied as she waved her slender fingers in the air as she tumbled over, falling on the floor in raucous laughter.

"Really?! I would never have guessed! He acts so confident!" Loki chortled, hauling his chest out of the water with what little strength the fever left him. He felt his body getting better by the moment, but didn't notice the blue tinge that was slowly creeping its way up his legs.

"Oh, yes! And the other men, they seem to think he's a woman at times!" She chanted as she pulled herself back up to the prince's eye level. She kept her chipping up until a glance down at the prince's legs left her silent.

"Oh…" Loki said as he stared down at his feet. He'd forgotten about the glamour Odin had placed on him. When his eyes returned to the maid, she offered him a kind smile.

"It's alright. I don't judge. You're still our prince." She said as she raised another cup full of cold water to drench the overheating frost giant. Loki could only gift a gentle smile back to her as she kept pouring the water over his head. The sound of grand cheering roared from the stadium, making the whole kingdom seem as if it were under attack. Loki was surprised they could hear it from the washroom.

"So, who do you think won?" Loki asked as his dazing state allowed him little to no thinking abilities.

"By the sound of it, my money's on Thor." She replied.

"Do you-" Loki paused for only a moment while he readjusted his legs. "Do you think I'll be happy? With whoever it is?" Loki asked as his insecurities finally made themselves known on a tiny voice. He would later curse himself for asking such a foolish thing to a maid he only met a few minutes ago, but his brain refused him any sort of resistance to the quandary.

"I know you will. Either that, or our little prankster prince will gladly fulfill the threats he was making in his slumber." The maid retorted. Loki blanched at her.

"What exactly did I threaten?" Loki joked.

"You said that if they didn't throw you on the bed and fuck the curse out of you, you'd castrate them with a rusty spatula." The maid chuckled. Loki couldn't help but laugh at the maid's reply. That was exactly what he was thinking.

A few quiet minutes passed as Loki listened to the maid tell him of all the funny things she'd seen around the palace. He enjoyed hearing such stories, even if they were only tales to keep him amused while he was trying to recover his wits previously held ransom by his body.

Footsteps approached their position at the pace of a racing horse. The maid dropped the cup into the melted ice water and offered a hand to Loki, who carefully rose on legs as sturdy as a new born fawn. He braced himself on her for support as the door to his chambers flew open. Freki growled at the intruder, barking as the heavy weighted footsteps came closer. The maid helped Loki out of the bath just in time for the door to open.

"Loki?" A heavy voice, worn by battle cries and brought to its tethers by exertion, called out to him. Loki allowed himself to be half carried to the door to see his new keeper.

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><p>Please note if there's an issue. I'll fix it!<p>

ANNNNNDDD THE QUESTION OF THE DAY IS: WHO WON? Please leave your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for reading and I love you guys! Except the trolls. And the jerks. They can go milk a moose for all I care.


	23. Boink Boink time

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Warning and such: This chapter is pure smut. And for the record I feel dirty for writing it. So very, very dirty. So I hope you guys like it, and on DA: please follow the link to the Fanfiction site. I couldn't post it here without risking getting kicked off.

Me no own, I make no money off this. No likey yaoi -don't read. I won't pay attention to flamers. School starts back today.

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><p>"You won?" Loki asked, surprised at the man's appearance. His blood and dirt covered clothes wreaked of a hard battle, and the sweat seeping from beneath his armor seemed to entice the young sorcerer for the first time in his life. Normally, he would have nearly vomited from the scent of sweaty men clambering over each other. The smell of testosterone laden flesh and moisture repulsed him on his best days.<p>

"You act surprised." The blonde man said as he came closer to the maid and his prize. He offered his hand to Loki, who took it with a cautionary glare. The maid bowed to both men before escorting herself out of his room.

"You know I won't make this easy for you." Loki gasped as he was pulled into the man's chest. A soft, yet dominating kiss was placed on the younger man's brow. Loki wanted to hiss at him for such an act, but allowed it to slide for once.

"I don't want you to make it easy." The man replied.

"I'm not swooning maiden. Save that act for the whore house." Loki replied as he was pulled upwards into the man's warm embrace.

"I won't have to go there anymore. I have you now." The warrior said as he carried Loki over to the bed.

"I can walk on my own!" Loki protested as he was placed back in the rat's nest of blankets. Freki had taken it upon himself to move to the balcony for some fresh air, but refused to be too far from the new couple.

"Judging by the state you were in when I arrived, I have to disagree." The muscled man argued with a light laugh.

"I-You- This isn't!" Loki gasped as the man leaned forward, placing several butterfly kisses on the prince's neck.

"I fighter 'til the end, I see." The man jested. Loki gasped as his suitor gave a little nip to his collarbone, making the enraged Frost Giant bend backwards on the bed, crying out in unexpected pleasure.

"No! I! Shit!" Loki proclaimed as the massive paw let itself slide down to Loki's hip, massaging his lower back and spine as the prince gasped for air. His flesh became feverish once again, causing his lower regions to scream for release as Loki tried to keep his legs closed. The inner war raging in his lower half was stuck between keeping his legs sealed tighter than the weapons vault or throwing them wide open for some blessed relief from this horrible curse.

"Just relax. I won't hurt you. Have I ever lied to you?" The man soothed as he reached up to unlatch his favorite cape. The fabric slid to the floor in a silken heap, tickling Loki's shin on the way down.

"Fuck you!" Loki growled as he gripped the man's tunic.

"We'll get to that in a moment, oh insatiable one." The man grinned as he used his free hand to grab Loki's wrists and pull upwards, effectively pinning the smaller man to the bed.

"Gah!" Loki gasped as the man reached to his side to grab some rope, slipping it around the younger man's wrists and tying them to the headboard with a few well practiced movements. Loki could tell he'd been waiting for this, but the Frost Giant didn't expect it to go like this.

-edited out for safety. Message me for the original.

"THOR!"

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><p>Please review. I like polite reviews. Perhaps we should talk to FF and ask politely to ease up on the sexual content filters and not boot too many people for sexy time scenes.<p> 


	24. I'm sorry!

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Sorry I've been inactive lately, it's been a busy month with Calc and history, and I have to use part of spring break to play catch up on medical terminology thanks to a very busy week in all of my other classes. So, here's the next chapter of Lost in the Frost!

Please, enjoy, read and leave a polite review (which means you can say anything as long as you don't insult people!).

Me no own, just playing around!

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><p>The plummeting feeling first thing in the morning was unexpected. The frigid contact with the cold stone floor of Loki's room was the second. He rolled over slowly as consciousness returned to him. His brain checked in after a minute worth of registering, recalling all of the 'fun' they'd had the previous evening. Thor shoved himself off the icy stone and hauled his slumber heavy frame upwards onto the bed where his adopted brother turned lover still laid.<p>

"Morning" Thor offered as he fluffed and straightened his hair with his free hand.

"Fuck you." Loki replied with a muffled growl against his pillow as he hid from the bright light of the morning sun. Thor sighed as he situated himself on the broad surface, pulling himself over to his prize. He offered the green eyed prince an elongated kiss on his shoulder, to which Loki attempted to buck him off with the stiffness of an arthritic cat.

"What's wrong? How on Asgard can you still be angry?" Thor asked as he insistently pushed himself on top of Loki's covered form, holding the downward facing sorcerer to the bed with his weight.

"You took me dry, you ass." Loki grumbled in reply. Thor had to stop for a moment to assess what Loki was talking about before gawking at his new lover like a fish out of water.

"Oh Loki!" Thor awkwardly laughed. He hadn't meant to overlook such an important step, but Loki's neediness and his passionate demands had overridden his sense of better judgment. He leaned forward to curl around his beloved, wrapping his arms around the lithe form of the pale prince.

"Fuck you." Loki barked half heartedly. He tried to wiggle out of his brother's hold, but failed as Thor rolled over while keeping Loki trapped in his embrace. The movement effectively encased both brothers in the sheets as Thor cuddled the sore sorcerer in a warm embrace. Loki couldn't find the range of movement to escape the thunderer's hold, mostly thanks to his pulsating backside. Thor was not a small man, and his neither regions were equivalent to a stallion. Had he been able to think straight, he certainly would have stopped the buffoon from taking him dry. Now, he wouldn't be able to walk for at least a week without healing spells.

"Don't be like that. You were happy about this before the tournament! You even encouraged it!" Thor jested against the black messy mop of his lover. Loki's backside screamed as he threw one arm haphazardly outwards in an attempt to claw Thor. He ultimately missed, and ended up with another shot of pain for his troubles. Seizing up for a moment, he felt the vibration of Thor's chuckle echoing through his chest. He glared at his lover's chest, which was the only thing he could see at the moment, and released the tense sigh that had been building up in his chest.

"I hate you." Loki huffed.

"No matter how many times you say that, I won't believe it. You're just sore from last night." Thor insisted as he pressed a heavy kiss into Loki's brow. Loki sighed as he tried to push himself from the lummox's chest, only to give up after his arms pleaded for mercy.

"Urrggg…" Loki growled again, frustration taking over.

"What's really wrong, my Loki?" Thor asked with the cheerful mirth of a jester joking his king.

"What's wrong? What's wrong?! I'm being treated like an infant and was fucked like a cheap whore! I'm apparently nothing more than a door prize to the tournament as far as Asgard's concerned and what's worse, you- you- URG!" Loki nearly screamed as he buried his head back in Thor's chest, mumbling the rest of his complaint.

"Loki, I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't have even entered if that's all you thought of me. I fought for your hand. But if you really don't want this to work, tell me now and I'll leave." Thor leveled, all the joy gone from his voice. Time seemed to still as Loki lost all rebellion in his silver tongue. He couldn't tell Thor to leave- but half of his brain wanted him gone. That same half had been telling him that he could make it through this without a mate, and that he could rule Asgard if he played his cards just right. The other half of his brain- the one that he was liking more and more each day after it had shown up during Thor's rescue – encouraged him to let this play its course. Loki had to admit to himself that the idea of a family and the security Thor brought with him was a pleasant thought. Hel, even now, Thor's body heat was the only thing that calmed Loki enough to think properly. Thor's touch was the only caress he would accept willingly, and Thor's voice was equivalent to the most soothing lullabies ever sung. Did he really want to give that up? All because the rebellious side of his brain- the one that continually got him in trouble over the years with bad ideas that resulted in him being branded a traitor, a prankster, and ceasing any potential friendships he could have made- wouldn't shut up?

"Loki?" Thor's voice came from above his head, breaking his train of thought. The green eyed trickster glanced up to see the stern orbs of his adopted brother glaring through his very being. He allowed himself to be absorbed into the glare as his mind took him on a mock trip through the thunderer's mind. He swore he could see all of the times he'd betrayed the future king, and how often Thor thought about the hurt he felt from his brother's tricks. Loki's heart ached at the idea of Thor abandoning him for his youthful misdeeds, and he dove back into the warmth of the thunder god's chest.

"Stay with me. Please stay with me." His voice spoke before he could think of what to say. He moved his arms upwards and wrapped them around the thunderer's neck, pulling him as close as possible as the green eye prince placed a chaste kiss on the blonde's lips. He felt Thor regain his smile, even though his emerald orbs had slipped shut in a moment of exhaustion. Thor rocked his hand over the sorcerer's shoulder, comforting the younger prince like a small lamb.

"You can be such a brat sometimes." Thor lightly jested as he ran a thick paw up Loki's spine, earning a soft sigh from the brat prince.

"You wouldn't love me if I wasn't." Loki joked back, smiling for the first time all morning. Thor smiled as he slid himself around the curled up trickster. He placed a small kiss on the sorcerer's head as he pushed himself up from the bed.

"I'll stay, but let me go get some food first. You must be hungry, and my stomach won't stop growling." Thor announced as he threw on his loose tunic from yesterday and his pair of pants. Loki sighed as he smiled into his pillow, groaning in pain as he adjusted his sore lower back.

"And maybe a small side trip to the medics?" Loki pleaded jokingly as he rubbed his chin into the warmth of the bed still smothered in their scent. Loki's nose hadn't quite adjusted to that pungent smell, but in the back of his mind, he knew he would. Part of him still wished to castrate the golden boy of Asgard, but he supposed he would just have to get used to it.

As Thor exited the room with a chuckle, Loki let his thoughts trail. He glanced around his green clad room to see all of his worldly possessions. After the wedding, he and Thor would have to decide which objects went with them to their new quarters. They'd outgrown their childhood bedrooms, and chances were Frigga and Odin wouldn't want to interfere with their personal time after the royal wedding. Loki could already imagine them returning from the 'honeymoon' to find a new wing of the Asgardian palace built and ready to be transformed into a cozy, homey little corner of their world by Loki and Thor's tastes in furniture, weaponry, and stuffed creatures from their many quests. Though, Loki had made it very clear that the spiders from Vanaheim would be 'donated' to the Hall of History. He'd hated the damnable thing when Thor had slain it during their youth, and the idea of having it in his house was disgusting! Imagine, stumbling through the darkness of their home in the middle of the night for a drink of water, only to bump into a twelve foot tall mounted spider. Loki swore he would have blasted that thing into a million tiny bits in a flare of green fire if it ever 'found' its way in front of his door again. Thor, in his attempted prankster years, managed to drive Loki up the wall, out the door and around the palace before screaming his best spells at the golden brat.

He rolled over on the bed, gently manipulating the tender muscles of his lower back as he released the stale air that was harboring in his lungs. He really wanted to open a window and just let some fresh air into the now overly warm room. The cracked bedroom door was allowing some air in from the rest of his personal chambers, but it wasn't enough to get Thor's smell to dissipate as quickly as Loki would have liked.

"Loki." Thor announced as he entered the chambers with a large platter full of fruit and a large pitcher of water to start the morning. Loki silently thanked the thunderer, because the mustiness of the room made him crave the clear fluid more than air. He pushed himself up on his forearms before Thor came back into the room to help the sore sorcerer sit up on the bed.

"Here, take this." Thor said as he handed Loki a small leaf pile. Loki eyed it for a moment before shrugging and consuming the green plant. It caught in his throat as he swallowed, forcing the prince to start chuffing and sputtering. He gripped his throat as Thor handed him a goblet of water.

"What was that?" Loki asked as he coughed as a horrible, sour taste filled his mouth. He quickly swigged back another gulp of the fresh fluid, swirling it in his mouth as he tried to wash the bitter taste from his tongue.

"The medics gave me it. They said it would help soreness and stiffness for a few hours." Thor said as he rubbed Loki's back.

"It tastes awful." Loki protested as he gulped down the rest of the water. He could tell, this was going to be long treatment.

"Well, I brought your favorites- berries, fruit, and eggs." Thor gleefully announced as he puffed out his chest in pride. Loki couldn't help but smirk as his future husband wrapped his arms around the smaller man. Thor's arms brought with it Loki's favorite bedroom robe, wrapping the soft fabric around the sorcerer's shoulders and allowing Loki to tie it as he preferred.

"And apparently half the breakfast table." Loki remarked as they entered the sitting portion of his chambers. Thor, in his hunger, brought one of each meat item available, as well as a large plate of Loki's favorite fruits and breads.

"Sorry. I ate with my eyes before I thought about how much I could carry. Hope you are hungry." Thor offered as he pulled Loki into the chair next to him. Loki's mind flashed with a tinge of humiliation as he wondered if Thor thought of him as weak. After an odd moment of tossing the typical ideas around his skull, he shoved his quarrelsome mind to its place at the back of his skull (hopefully to die one of these days and let him live in peace), and dug into the breakfast Thor had brought. He'd almost forgotten the animalistic noises Thor made when he ate, which was one of the reason Loki was so thin compared to his brother. Listening to his adopted brother chow down on a plate of food like a hungry dog was unappetizing to say the least. It was like listening to a bear eating a bowl of pudding.

Loki gently plucked his fork from the platter where Thor was already stabbing pork and eggs roughly, shoveling them into his mouth as he chewed roughly before swallowing. Loki maintained his constant sense of proper table manners, poking his fork through a few berries and lifting them to his mouth carefully, consuming them quietly. Loki could hear the air bubbles that caught in Thor's cheeks being expelled through his nose as he chewed like a rabid dog. Loki tried his best to pace himself with his food, allowing each flavor to sit on his tongue for a moment before it slipped down his throat. He was almost certain in Thor's shoveling, the thunderer wouldn't know what he was eating unless he'd killed it himself.

"Slow down, Thor. You'll choke-" As if on cue, the golden boy of Asgard started hacking as a piece of bacon lodged itself in his throat. Loki reached over in his stiffness, slamming his wrist and forearm down on the thunder god's back. He repeated the action as hard as he could, using his tougher forearm to bear the brunt of the force as his hand lofted above it in a dangling motion. After two more good slams, Thor's throat released the bacon, and it shot back into his mouth. He promptly expelled the offending piece of meat as it landed on the table, coughing roughly as his body sought to free itself of any remaining pieces of crispy pork. Loki offered the thunderer his water as Thor gasped for air. Thor took the drink without question, gulping down a large swig as soon as his body stopped convulsing in racking coughs. Loki waited until the thunderer was in the clear to start chortling.

"Oh, be quiet!" Thor laughed as he nudged the trickster with his shoulder. Loki laughed even harder as Thor began to laugh with him. They knew this moment was theirs, and by next week they would be whisked away to the busy halls of Asgard demanding their attention left and right. So, unless the palace was on fire, this humble set of rooms would be their treasure cave- where they could lock the doors and forget the world exist while diving into the warmth of their bed. And while Loki wasn't able to comfortably leave the room, Thor was likely to be the target of his pranks.


	25. Testing

Testing- Testing

This is an experiment. Please review to tell us which portion is well written and which portion is not in a polite manner. (Seriously, I need the polite feedback, and constructive crit is very welcomed here if it's politely done.)

Me no own. Sorry I haven't been around, we've been busy with house repairs and all. Don't get me wrong, we got a lot done, but it left very little time and energy to work on hobbies. Likewise, we shoved my two emails together, and now I've lost a lot of notifications. So Winners this time include everyone who reviewed or faved. Thank you for watching.

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><p>It was dark by the time they returned to Asgard. The slaughter of the last few soldiers in Jotenheim seemed to take far longer then they'd expected. Their armor still stunk of blood and excrement signature to the battlefield. It was enough to make Laufey's nose clench in offense. He quickly dipped his sword into the deep waters of Asgard's ocean next to their cloaked pathway, washing every drop of blackened fluid from the icy weapon. He quickly tossed his loose armor to the side and knelt down in the clearing pool to wash the evidence off of his hide. His dearest followers mimicked his actions, cleansing their weapons and body so their host wouldn't recognize the stench of war reeking from the flesh. So much work, so much preparation couldn't be undone in an instant of self entitled pride.<p>

He could see the looks of uncertainty on his warriors faces. True, part of him regretted the slaughter, but the portion of the army they'd slain was loyal to Helbindi. They would be missed and mourned, but never forgotten. Like all games of chess, Laufey had sacrificed his pawns to approach the Queen. And to their respect, their untimely deaths at the hands of golden cloaked monsters of Asgard, whose bodies were scattered in between the fallen sons of winter, would be rallied against. Their people would demand justice at the price of war with the Realm Eternal. And surely, as planned, Odin would fall with his prized son busy bedding his new lover.

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><p>Loki managed to make it to the gardens after half an hour of shuffling towards the warmth of the outer walls. His body still ached, but he'd promised Thor he would take it easy while his body was still cycling out the remaining pregnenolone remnants from his weakened form. While he was regaining some of the magic that had been dampened by his caretakers potions (more out of fear of Loki having a stroke or a seizure from the high blood pressure that had cropped up after the first week than spite) he still had trouble controlling blasts and lines of any sort. His Dollmaker trick had failed when he cast it on a dejected pillow in the corner. It spun about four times before throwing itself on a lamp, successfully destroying his favorite antique vase in the process. And when he attempted to destroy a rat that had slipped into his bathroom, he only managed to change the color of the sink to a bright pink with green polka dots. Thank goodness Frigga was the first to see that embarrassing little disaster. He was certain Thor would never have allowed him to hear the end of it.<p>

But at least out here in the gardens he could start small with some of mother's flowers instead of irreplaceable furniture. He offered a small stroke to one particularly purple rose, causing it to change to a bright pink as it moved its leaves in a blushing motion. Loki couldn't help but chuckle at the act from the flower. It was a small prize, but an achievement none the less. He paced his way over to the water lilies and danced his finger tips across the water's edge. The lilies all spun into a perfect circle, twirling just slightly as they folded and unfolded against the water. Loki admired his water ballet for a few more minutes after falling backwards onto the stone walk, allowing the rhythmic motions to calm his mind. The itching portion of his ever vigilant brain had effectively decided to keep his ears perked and his eyes nervously casting themselves from side to side while he was trapped in his bedroom.

"Having fun?" A gentle voice came from behind him. Loki opened his eyes to see a familiar ponytailed head eclipsing the sun above him.

"To a degree, yes I am, Sif." Loki said as he pushed himself back up off the stone to address her. She took the seat beside him as she had many times before.

"You seemed to have kept our beloved Dunderer rather busy this past week. He's barely been seen at the training grounds, but I take it you've told him to stop pestering you?" Sif inquired sarcastically as she reached up to brush the trickster's hair from his eyes, much to a subtle protest of grunting. Loki smirked as he nodded happily. Sif chuckled her signature laugh, making sure to nudge the green clad man with her shoulder. Loki smiled and looked back to the flowers, which had managed to tangle themselves together. Loki didn't have the energy to untangle them at the moment, so he grabbed a nearby stick that had fallen from a tree and prodded the nearest flower.

"Well, he is rather tiring in almost every aspect. If he doesn't cease his flexing, he's babbling about his latest trophy. If not for either of those, he's snoring like Fenrir after a heavy meal." Loki sighed.

"Hum- Glad I never had to deal with that. Around us, he's just flexing and yapping." Sif chortled. Loki laughed with her, glad to finally have his friends back.

"And what else has he been up to when I'm not around? He doesn't talk about me,d oes he?" Loki asked out of curiosity masked fear.

"The only things he says about you are how grouchy you are at first light. Other than that, he just can't wait to hop back in bed with you." Sif said nonchalantly as she plucked a misfortunate piece of grass from its home and started to pull it apart. Loki watched her hands as she torn the strand vertically, generating many smaller strands of green to split from her small fingers.

"Did you paint your nails?" Loki had never really noticed before, but her fingernails were very well kept for a warrior. He expected them to be worn and tired with age and battle, but instead, they had a small coat of varnish painted on the very top. It was clear, but it was definitely there. He reached for her hand just as she pulled it away, hiding both of them behind her hip.

"Well- I- um-" Sif stuttered, as if she expected no one to notice. Loki smirked at her.

"It's alright if you did, I was just curious." Loki said as he rubbed his own fingernails, suddenly self conscious of how roughened they'd become over the years of abuse from chemicals and backfiring spells. He normally didn't even pay them much mind outside of when he accidentally scratched himself.

"Well, with Volstagg married and Thor betrothed to you, I realized time is moving forward, is all." Sif dejectedly admitted with a stern glance to Loki's new pendant. Thor had given it to him three days ago in a rather bumbled attempt at wooing him. Somehow, he'd managed to involve three birds, a bucket of ice, and a pile of fruit so heavy, it broke the table that was supporting the platter. Loki had to commend the attempt at romance, but Thor was about as suave as an aardvark in heat.

"And what does that have to do with your nails?" Loki jested, an inkling itching at his brain, but too self conscious to guess out loud with someone he was trying to rebuild a bridge with.

"Well- a talk with your mother brought up my less feminine side. So we sat down and she helped me." Sif spoke uneasily. She'd always had a problem during training when the men would taunted her for being a woman, and this readdressed subject was unwelcome in the realm of Sif. If it wasn't the men, it was the women speaking behind her back. Harsh words of her being unusual, strange, and homely because she refused to wear color and dresses. She'd never made good friends with any woman, but eventually earned her way to Thor's side through battle and a good heart. Her own inner problems never disappeared, but they quieted themselves when she's found her way to such good friendships with the Warriors Three and Thor.

"And clearly, your nails were the most pressing matter." Loki commented as he lifted her muscular yet reasonably sized hand to his in order to observe his mother's handiwork.

"Well, she said it was a good start for me to learn how to take care of my hands first. Then we would move onto the face and clothing. Loki-" Sif started, pausing with uncertainty as she bit her lip.

"Yes?" Loki encouraged as best he could.

"Do you think I'm unattractive?" She asked. Loki was shocked to say the least. He'd never thought someone so confident as Sif would have such an insecurity, and much less speak to him about it. To be honest, he never thought a lot of the things that had happened in the last month would ever occur in his life time, but clear fate had a black mark on his thread.

"You're joking, right?" Loki tried to awkwardly laugh off the unspoken tension between them as he ran his thumb over the smooth nails. Sif jerked her hand away from the chortling prince.

"A simple 'yes' would have sufficed, Loki!" Sif growled as she began to rise from her seat, only to be stopped by the trickster's hand.

"You are far from unattractive Sif. You just caught me off guard by such an odd inquisition. What brought this on?" Loki asked as he pulled her back down into a sitting position. Sif relinquished her stiff shoulders and replaced herself in her former position sitting beside the trickster. Loki gave his stick a toss into the pond, watching as the dead limb floated back to the top of the water to bob in the current. Loki swatted a stinging insect on the back of his neck as soon as it stung him.

"So, how are things on your end?" Sif asked reluctantly. Loki shrugged at first, but then sighed.

"Don't get me wrong, I enjoy our infamous dunder head's jokes and tales, but there are times I would like to be alone. He is rather… 'pressing' when it comes to everyone's needs. He is almost like the shadow I always wanted. I just never thought he'd be this annoying. He's got a kind heart, but I find myself questioning if I did the right thing when I allowed him to fight for my hand." Loki grumbled. Perhaps it was still the hormones, but the question had been rattling around in his head for days now. If he hadn't given Thor the chance to compete in the tournament, would he still have fought? Would the trickster be forced into another's bed? Perhaps Epsilon's? Or someone from another realm? They weren't technically married yet, and he could still grant Thor his freedom. Thor didn't have to be tied to the silver tongue of Asgard. He could have had anyone from the nine realms!

"Loki, Loki, Loki- you are such a little fool." Sif jested. Loki jerked his head up with a confused glance painting his face.

"I am? How so?" Loki insisted.

"Thor never chose another. We've gone through this several times now, dear trickster. Why do you still doubt yourself so?" Sif asked kindly. Loki never thought he'd hear such words from her, but this was clearly a wild time of change.

"He deserves better, Sif! He-He deserves someone who can be a queen and bring every bit of honor available to his court! Not some no account trickster who can't even-" Loki's stuttering rant was silences by a gentle set of fingers to his lips.

"Loki, your past is behind you. You've had your childish fun, now is the time to grow into the crown you deserve. If you are so worried about Thor's honor with you at his side, then you have already begun to grow. You will cease your pranks as time goes by, and you will become the ruler that Thor needs. Stop doubting yourself based on the past. Please. The only thing I see coming from that attitude is hatred." Sif spoke as she placed her hands on his shoulders. Loki took in her words before doing his best not to tell her off. It sounded canned to him at first, perhaps out of frustration and personal hatred of how Asgard loved Lady Sif, but couldn't stand the sight of the coward Prince Loki. It was enough to make him-

A squeal of surprise and a sudden jump backwards was all he saw of Sif before his vomit hit the ground. He didn't stop for another two rounds as fruit and bread forced their way up his throat over and over. Sif called for the guards and a medic as loudly as she could, but found herself turning back to assist a nauseous Loki into sitting up properly. Loki couldn't breathe well, but he did remember two golden cloaked men kneeling beside him as Sif backed away to give him some air. Darkness soon took his vision, and he knew no more of the garden for that day.


End file.
